The bottom line is that this rule has been into effect for what...15-18 years?
It has never been thought of as stupid until now of course.
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The bottom line is that this rule has been into effect for what...15-18 years?
It has never been thought of as stupid until now of course.
I agree, the tighter you are, the closer the DE is, plus it is obviously no advantage to barely shorten how far you have to move laterally in order to throw it away considering you still would have to move towards the outside pressure and more importantly an incomplete pass doesn't help. If one wants to simply say that the rule gives some incentive to rolling out (because of how easy you can ditch the ball when you are about to be sacked) then I agree, and it does, but it still makes your QB from towards the outside pressure (the flank of your line which is exposed).
BTW, here is the confusing thing I saw regarding the rules (pocket vs. tackle-position/box):
http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/definitions
According to that definition Vick would be pretty close to being inside the pocket, though still not clearly inside.Quote:
Pocket Area: Applies from a point two yards outside of either offensive tackle and includes the tight end if he drops off the line of scrimmage to pass protect. Pocket extends longitudinally behind the line back to offensive team’s own end line.
Yes I am pissed, that despite the fact that Philly looked like one of the worst teams in the league, the Refs allowed their DB's to RAPE our WR's all game, and then called a ticky tack OPI on JOnes on our winning touchdown. To compound that, they allow Vick to do what, apparently follows the rules as written, but couldn't have possibly been a more perfect representation of the SPIRIT of the grounding rule. He basically DROPPED the ball right before hitting the ground and it's an incomplete pass? that's ridiculous. The rule is worded poorly, fact.
It also cuts off half the field.
These OC's aren't stupid...if they felt there was a competitve advantage to just rolling QB's out for the sole purpose of being able to throw the ball away, they obviously don't have much confidence in their QB's to complete passes or their OL to protect.
Have some people not seen how the league has been trying to protect QB's to an absurd degree? That rule was put in long ago to give QB's some protection...instead of having to take a hit or grounding call, it gave them an out. And the NFL tried to take as much of the judgement out of calling it by giving the refs a defined, set area to work with at the snap as opposed to having to keep track of where linemen windup over the course of a play.
I'm pissed too, but come on...the league has been going with the literal interpretation for ever because it takes judgmental opinions out of the equation.
That's why I brought up the tuck rule...EVERYBODY knew that was a fumble....everybody. But the league goes with the literal interpretation...that's what they instruct their refs to do.
LOL. "Half that." Nonsense. Measure your own width shoulder to shoulder. Mine is 24 inches without pads and I am 5'11", about 170 lbs. 300 lbs plus huge shoulder pads is easily approaching 36 inches per person. Plus elbow room to get down (few inches between each guy).
Also there are small advantages to being in the pocket, regarding roughing the passer rules.
FWIW, I see how some people may have had that initial opinion of grounding, but taking into account what happened Sunday, I can name 10-15 things that piss me off WAY more than a potential missed grounding call.
The way it is, they might as well just say that QB's are immune to fumbles and sacks. Just eliminate the whole pocket verbage, take all the guesswork out and say if the ball leaves a QB's hands and hits the ground it's incomplete. Because when you the brain out of the referee you end up with ridiculous crap like this. Dude dropped the ball because he was in the process of getting pounded into the turf and he gets the ball at the previous spot for some completely insane reason.
Don't get me started on the tuck rule... that's one pof the most ridiculous calls in all of pro-sports history. It was a CLEAR gimme to the Pats... I'm one of the conspiracy theorists that think someone in the league offices must have made that call. Complete and utter lunacy.
Agreed, there are plenty of worse things about that game, the primary to me was the complete inequality in the way PIs and defensive holding was called. Reminds me COMPLETELY of the Colts Pats playoff game where the Refs allowed the Pats to interfere with basically every receiver on basically every snap of the game.
BUt don't forget, this play turned out to be the gamewinner. And by the SPIRIT of the rule was EXACTLY why tere is such a thing as grouding. He intentionally threw the ball in the ground to avoid a sack. PERIOD, it's what he did, what he tried to do and I don't need to be in his head to know that, it is plain and obvious as the night is dark.