The NFL’s ability to confirm referees can decide the outcome of a game has spoiled one of Week 1’s most dramatic contests. New Orleans started the game looking like one of the worst teams in the NFL, as Detroit jumped out to a 21-0 lead with Tyler Shaw struggling, only for the Saints to come back, tie the game and send it into overtime.
Although the Lions went on to win 31-30, the outcome of the game focused on a key moment earlier in the game, when Jared Goff appeared to give a sack call for a touchdown — which was then overruled by video officials in New York.
The decision was called by the officials after the game, and why this is confusing to fans is that it seems to go against everything we know about forward passes, hand movements and the nature of the ball. Here is what the official said:
“Goff initiates the throwing motion and then the defender contacts him, so it’s a forward pass. The throwing motion begins when he starts to bring the ball up as part of the wind movement, and the defender’s contact causes the ball to bounce back.”
This also removed the term in the 2021 rulebook that lists the forward pass as “a forward movement of the hands” and confusing a pass with “the player deliberately throwing the ball or pulling/pushing the ball (shovel pass)”.
What happened between the Saints and the Lions is a case where the League Shadow changed this rule and it didn’t come to this point. This defies belief as an exact rule in football, as it practically makes it impossible for a quarterback to punt the ball until he starts to punt it. With this variation of the rule, a QB is only attacked the second before they throw the ball, if they snap the ball, or between pump fakes.
Item 3. Passenger nails his arm again. It is a foul if the player loses control of the ball while trying to hit the ball again.
I don’t even fully understand what “trying to hit the hand again” is. What is the practical difference between “retrieving the hand” and “starting the throwing motion”? Give it a try. just now. Tell me about the point where you didn’t start the throwing motion, but you’re swinging your arm again. Please let me know in the comments.
The end result of this was a game that was technically correct but made no logical sense. Jared Goff hits the ball straight back, his arm doesn’t go forward – and that should be a bummer. It’s very simple. Instead, the N.L.L. He changed this ridiculous rule for no apparent reason, and Sunday’s game could be the canary in the coal mine. Coaches who are unaware of the change may now instruct the QB to always throw the ball or make any throwing motion on contact, as there can never be an interception or intentional grounding.
Great job as always, NFL.