This may come up in the 2023 NFL playoffs: A moment in which a defender — or offensive player — is whistled (or isn’t, remember Saints-Rams in 2019?) for pass interference in a key moment that could decide a postseason game.
So if you’re here, maybe you’re wondering: What exactly are the rules for pass interference at the moment?
If you’re looking for the textbook definition, the NFL has it for us on their Football Operations site: “It is pass interference by either team when any act by a player more than one yard beyond the line of scrimmage significantly hinders an eligible player’s opportunity to catch the ball. Pass interference can only occur when a forward pass is thrown from behind the line of scrimmage, regardless of whether the pass is legal or illegal, or whether it crosses the line.”
So what are those acts that can “significantly hinder” a catch attempt? Here we go:
Acts that are pass interference include, but are not limited to:
- Contact by a player who is not playing the ball that restricts the opponent’s opportunity to make the catch;
- Playing through the back of an opponent in an attempt to make a play on the ball;
- Grabbing an opponent’s arm(s) in such a manner that restricts his opportunity to catch a pass;
- Extending an arm across the body of an opponent, thus restricting his ability to catch a pass, and regardless of whether the player committing such act is playing the ball;
- Cutting off the path of an opponent by making contact with him, without playing the ball;
- Hooking an opponent in an attempt to get to the ball in such a manner that it causes the opponent’s body to turn prior to the ball arriving; or
- Initiating contact with an opponent by shoving or pushing off, thus creating separation.
There you have it!
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