Vikings insist officials missed interference call

[mraynrand]

They didn't blame the game on the call, but I live in Minnesota and the whine-line on KFAN sure had a lot of fans who did.

That makes the win even sweeter :P

Yes it does. And you can always do the following: concede the point completely -say "Boy, you're right, the Packers got all the calls goin' their way. They really lucked their way into this win. The refs must have been paid off by Bob Harlan. Hochuli is a Packer fan." then for the coup de gras say: "But at the end of the day, and for the record books for all time, it's still a 'W' for Green Bay and an 'L' for Minnesota. Have a nice day!"

That's exactly what I did after the instant replay game with Chicago. And was it sweet.

[Tony Oday]

Winfield was on KFAN this morning and stated he thought the call could have gone both ways but the simple fact is that the (Vikings) didnt make enough plays to win the game. Class act guy that i wish was in gren and gold

[3irty1]

I love how physical our corners are. I feel like in an era of ridiculous PI calls, we have developed a sort of "Greg Maddax strike zone" for our secondary. Some of the calls on us are bad but I feel like many more would get called on other teams who don't man up as much as we do. Al and Chuck are aloud to absolutely RUIN your route and hump you all the way down the field.

[cpk1994]

As was stated earlier but some have ignored, bumping inside of 5 yards is fine until the ball is thrown. Once it is thrown there can be no contact by either player. If contact was made while the ball in air, it's a penalty on whoever the ref feels made the most contact and therefore the interception would not have happened if the defender was called. It would have been a 5 yard penalty and I believe 1st down again. In this particular instance the ref stated he was not looking that direction so he could not make the call. Chicago DBs played this way last year and clearly GB has picked up on it this year. It's a good choice in my opinion but you are going to have these types of calls made on you from time to time. So I wouldn't whine about it from either perspective. It's not like Childress is the only coach to complain about a call. Nor should he call that the reason they lost. (he didn't)

He may not have explictly said it was the reason they lost the game, but the way he complained about it IMPLIED that he felt it lost the game. He should be explaining why AP only got 2 touches in the 2nd half instead of bitching about the officials.

[mngolf19]

As was stated earlier but some have ignored, bumping inside of 5 yards is fine until the ball is thrown. Once it is thrown there can be no contact by either player. If contact was made while the ball in air, it's a penalty on whoever the ref feels made the most contact and therefore the interception would not have happened if the defender was called. It would have been a 5 yard penalty and I believe 1st down again. In this particular instance the ref stated he was not looking that direction so he could not make the call. Chicago DBs played this way last year and clearly GB has picked up on it this year. It's a good choice in my opinion but you are going to have these types of calls made on you from time to time. So I wouldn't whine about it from either perspective. It's not like Childress is the only coach to complain about a call. Nor should he call that the reason they lost. (he didn't)

He may not have explictly said it was the reason they lost the game, but the way he complained about it IMPLIED that he felt it lost the game. He should be explaining why AP only got 2 touches in the 2nd half instead of bitching about the officials.

I'm guessing, but he was probably responding to a question about it. And if the reporters didn't ask him about AP, then they weren't doing their job. Because I agree with you on that too.

[Partial]

He was getting mugged. It was definitely a penalty. Oh well. I am sure they missed plenty of penalties both ways.

No one play makes a game.

[4and12to12and4]

He was getting mugged. It was definitely a penalty. Oh well. I am sure they missed plenty of penalties both ways.

No one play makes a game.

Quote of the thread!! Done.

[the_idle_threat]

I love how physical our corners are. I feel like in an era of ridiculous PI calls, we have developed a sort of "Greg Maddax strike zone" for our secondary. Some of the calls on us are bad but I feel like many more would get called on other teams who don't man up as much as we do. Al and Chuck are aloud to absolutely RUIN your route and hump you all the way down the field.

LOVE IT!

[HarveyWallbangers]

LeRoy Butler

Q: Do you think Charles Woodson should have been called for pass interference on the Atari Bigby interception, and are Woodson and Al Harris playing with fire playing such a physical style of bump-and-run?

A: I think it's sour grapes on the part of Minnesota because this game is designed for the receivers to always get free. When that doesn't happen everybody is always up in arms. He was called earlier for an illegal chuck downfield when he returned an interception for a touchdown. If you noticed, Woodson didn't even complain. It's part of the game. So I think the way the cornerbacks play it's going to happen and as Packers fans we'll live with that. And Minnesota should live with it when they don't make calls that tight. I thought he had it played excellent. I think he's a smart cornerback to know that in that formation they've been running that same route. I kind of agree with Woodson because he's in a position already established on the field and the receiver is not trying to avoid him, just trying to run into him. I think it's what we call a no-play. You just let them play.

[gbgary]

ed hockaloogy, and his buds, missed plenty of calls on both sides of the ball.

[OS PA]

One question I have is from the San Diego game. Remember the play when Harris bumped at the line and completely destroyed his receiver? Rivers threw it in their direction and there was a penalty called on Harris. If it's the case that it isn't a penalty within five yards until the ball is thrown, why don't quarterbacks throw it over the head of the receivers getting bumped at the beginning of each play? If the bump becomes a penalty the second the ball is released you think quarterbacks would be able to abuse that wouldn't you?

I thought that the call in San Diego was bullshit, because Harris "legally" destroyed the receiver, and got flagged for being dominant.

[Rastak]

One question I have is from the San Diego game. Remember the play when Harris bumped at the line and completely destroyed his receiver? Rivers threw it in their direction and there was a penalty called on Harris. If it's the case that it isn't a penalty within five yards until the ball is thrown, why don't quarterbacks throw it over the head of the receivers getting bumped at the beginning of each play? If the bump becomes a penalty the second the ball is released you think quarterbacks would be able to abuse that wouldn't you?

I thought that the call in San Diego was bullshit, because Harris "legally" destroyed the receiver, and got flagged for being dominant.

Hard to time the throw and as you see, the refs blow it all the time.

[mraynrand]

One question I have is from the San Diego game. Remember the play when Harris bumped at the line and completely destroyed his receiver? Rivers threw it in their direction and there was a penalty called on Harris. If it's the case that it isn't a penalty within five yards until the ball is thrown, why don't quarterbacks throw it over the head of the receivers getting bumped at the beginning of each play? If the bump becomes a penalty the second the ball is released you think quarterbacks would be able to abuse that wouldn't you?

I thought that the call in San Diego was bullshit, because Harris "legally" destroyed the receiver, and got flagged for being dominant.

Hard to time the throw and as you see, the refs blow it all the time.

Excellent observation, OS PA. I'm going to look up the rules, but this is the problem with the pass interference rule and the 5 yard bump and run. I suspect this is a judgment call by the refs, otherwise, when the ball is in the air, any contact is illegal - Refs should call pass interference on either the receiver (unlikely)or the d-back (very likely). THe first time Harris got called for interference in the dome, the receiver had his hands and arms up and around Harris' shoulder, which could easily have been called holding or offensive pass interference. It was called defensive pass interference because the ball was thrown to this revceiver. I think it's a mess.

[run pMc]

It was a penalty, but there are 22 guys on the field -- there's probably a penalty happening on every play. It's just a matter of whether the officials see the penalty, and whether they decide to swallow the whistle or not. Woodson was mugging him within 5 yards, but the ball was in the air.

The press coverage the CB's play is willing to give up a few illegal contacts in order to throw off the WR's, disrupt the timing of offenses, and buy some time for the DL to rush the QB.

To say that call cost them the game is a bit of a stretch. There's no guarantee that Wade would have caught the ball, or that GB wouldn't have stopped them from scoring.

[mraynrand]

From NFL rules (Note that for pass interference, no mention is made of the 5 yard 'bump and run zone' If you take it verbatim, the d back must stop bumping once the ball is released by the QB)


Pass Interference

1. There shall be no interference with a forward pass thrown from behind the line. The restriction for the passing team starts with the snap. The restriction on the defensive team starts when the ball leaves the passer’s hand. Both restrictions end when the ball is touched by anyone.

2. The penalty for defensive pass interference is an automatic first down at the spot of the foul. If interference is in the end zone, it is first down for the offense on the defense’s 1-yard line. If previous spot was inside the defense’s 1-yard line, penalty is half the distance to the goal line.

3. The penalty for offensive pass interference is 10 yards from the previous spot.

4. It is pass interference by either team when any player movement beyond the line of scrimmage significantly hinders the progress of an eligible player of such player’s opportunity to catch the ball. Offensive pass interference rules apply from the time the ball is snapped until the ball is touched. Defensive pass interference rules apply from the time the ball is thrown until the ball is touched.

Actions that constitute defensive pass interference include but are not limited to:

(a) Contact by a defender who is not playing the ball and such contact restricts the receiver’s opportunity to make the catch.

(b) Playing through the back of a receiver in an attempt to make a play on the ball.

(c) Grabbing a receiver’s arm(s) in such a manner that restricts his opportunity to catch a pass.

(d) Extending an arm across the body of a receiver thus restricting his ability to catch a pass, regardless of whether the defender is playing the ball.

(e) Cutting off the path of a receiver by making contact with him without playing the ball.

(f) Hooking a receiver in an attempt to get to the ball in such a manner that it causes the receiver’s body to turn prior to the ball arriving.

Actions that do not constitute pass interference include but are not limited to:

(a) Incidental contact by a defender’s hands, arms, or body when both players are competing for the ball, or neither player is looking for the ball. If there is any question whether contact is incidental, the ruling shall be no interference.

(b) Inadvertent tangling of feet when both players are playing the ball or neither player is playing the ball.

(c) Contact that would normally be considered pass interference, but the pass is clearly uncatchable by the involved players.

(d) Laying a hand on a receiver that does not restrict the receiver in an attempt to make a play on the ball.

(e) Contact by a defender who has gained position on a receiver in an attempt to catch the ball.

Actions that constitute offensive pass interference include but are not limited to:

(a) Blocking downfield by an offensive player prior to the ball being touched.

(b) Initiating contact with a defender by shoving or pushing off thus creating a separation in an attempt to catch a pass.

(c) Driving through a defender who has established a position on the field.

Actions that do not constitute offensive pass interference include but are not limited to:

(a) Incidental contact by a receiver’s hands, arms, or body when both players are competing for the ball or neither player is looking for the ball.

(b) Inadvertent touching of feet when both players are playing the ball or neither player is playing the ball.

(c) Contact that would normally be considered pass interference, but the ball is clearly uncatchable by involved players.

Note 1: If there is any question whether player contact is incidental, the ruling should be no interference.

Note 2: Defensive players have as much right to the path of the ball as eligible offensive players.

Note 3: Pass interference for both teams ends when the pass is touched.

Note 4: There can be no pass interference at or behind the line of scrimmage, but defensive actions such as tackling a receiver can still result in a 5-yard penalty for defensive holding, if accepted.

Note 5: Whenever a team presents an apparent punting formation, defensive pass interference is not to be called for action on the end man on the line of scrimmage, or an eligible receiver behind the line of scrimmage who is aligned or in motion more than one yard outside the end man on the line. Defensive holding, such as tackling a receiver, still can be called and result in a 5-yard penalty and automatic first down from the previous spot, if accepted. Offensive pass interference rules still apply.