The NFL rule book continues to grow every year, with new rules always added and few if any rules ever taken away. While in many respects a byproduct of unforeseen situations creating undesirable outcomes that the league hopes to ensure will be unrepeated, the end result is that more rules and regulations and points of emphasis and interpretations continue to emerge, making it harder for players, coaches, media, and fans to ever know what is and what isn’t a foul, and why it is and isn’t a foul.
Roughing the passer presents a prime example of this phenomenon. That specific portion of the rule book currently consists of more than 1,000 words, with eight different parts aimed at protecting the passer from unwarranted violence and, in turn, unacceptable risk of injury. And the end result, as many have noticed, is that defensive players can’t hit the quarterback high, can’t hit the quarterback low, and can’t hit him in the middle for fear of driving him into the ground or land.
So if people are going to both hate the rule and not understand it, why not go with a rule that they’ll hate but understand?
This one came from a half-joking response to a question posed to me by Big Cat and PFT Commenter on the Pardon My Take podcast regarding the controversial Clay Matthews call from Sunday. If the NFL is so intent on protecting quarterbacks that defensive players feel like they can’t hit quarterbacks, why not just keep them from hitting quarterbacks?
Specifically, why not apply to passers the same rules that apply to punters and kickers? Once the ball is away (and if the ball isn’t tipped behind the line of scrimmage), the quarterback can’t be touched.
Punters and kickers, who are easily replaceable, have enjoyed that protection for decades because of the vulnerable position they assume when punting or kicking as players swarm around them. The vulnerability is similar for quarterbacks when stepping into a throw, and the importance of the quarterback is far greater.
The revised rule would apply only while the passer in the pocket, and it would entail the two levels that apply to punters and kickers: Five yards for running into the kicker and 15 yards and a first down for roughing him.
Yes, it’s a radical concept. But if many (if not most) hits by defensive players on quarterbacks will be penalized under current rules, why not change make all post-pass hits a foul? Protections would still apply before the pass is thrown, but perhaps they would be a bit more relaxed. And perhaps defensive players would be more measured in their pursuit of a quarterback if they know that failure to hit him before the ball is out will automatically trigger a penalty.
It’s not the ideal solution. But it’s a far better solution than a convoluted set of rules that no one really understands and that contains far more gray than black and white. In situations like this, resorting to something more clear and understandable could be a major improvement. Especially if the overriding goal is to keep quarterbacks as healthy as possible for as long as possible.