NFL does away with pass-interference call

Ok, they didn’t go that far… but the league did decide to axe the “force-out” rule in an attempt to make sideline officiating more clear-cut, and consistent.

Previously, when a receiver was making a catch on the sidelines, and was forced out-of-bounds by a defender, and would have landed with both feet in-bounds if the defender had not pushed him out, and had possession of the ball when he landed, it was ruled a catch by force-out.

As the rule stands now: the receiver must get two feet in bounds. Boy, I guess that does streamline it a bit.

Other rule changes include:

• The five-yard facemask penatly has been eliminated. The 15-yard personal foul facemask still stands, when a defender grabs the facemask to an extent that it twists the player’s head.  
• Apparently a direct snap from center that “goes backwards” will now be treated as a fumble. (I may have to see video evidence of this one. Why the hell wasn’t it ruled a fumble before?)
  • Profootballtalk also reported that a “legal forward handoff” that is dropped is now a fumble.
• Field goals are now reviewable, as long as the ball bounces off the uprights (i.e. Phil Dawson). Previously no field goals were reviewable.
• The league has also adopted the college coin-toss rule, allowing teams to defer the opening toss to the second half. Previously the winner of the toss could choose only to receive or kick-off.

Source: Profootballtalk, ESPN. April 2 – 12:46 a.m. et