Elimination of the Force Out Rule

I am all for removing subjectivity from all calls, whenever possible (anyone see any of the Gymnastics BS in the Olympics, for example).

I think the ability of the NFL player to get two feet inbound after making a spectacular catch is one of the most amazing feats in athletics.

J-Dawg.

I like this rule. If you catch the ball out of bounds, it should be called out of bounds no matter what. Football is a contact sport, forcing someone out of bounds should count as being out of bounds. It also doesn't let the refs screw up even more calls in the game. And the first time Landry hits somebody out of bounds before their feet touch, everyone will love this rule.

I agree with you and now the rule is the rule and the ref's cannot come in and make up their own mind as to what happened. All WR's and QB's have this rule so it is fair. I think last year some games where decided by the ref's saying a WR was pushed out and it was questionable at best.

This rule definitely will make the 2-minute offense more interesting.

This rule definitely will make the 2-minute offense more interesting.


That's a heck of a point.

Given that we have a defense as well as an offense, I'm not too upset about this. Just be sure our DBs are pushing people out as much as they can--with Landry, this won't be a problem, no doubt.

Plus, our big rookies will probably be good at avoiding this problem. Now Santana and the little guys, that's another story.

But it applies to everyone one in the league, so it's hard to complain too much.

Just wanted to get everyone's thoughts on something I've noticed while watching preseason football this year...

As most everyone on this site probably knows, this past offseason the NFL competition committee chose to eliminate the "Force Out" rule whereby a receiver can not get both feet in bounds but still have a catch ruled a catch if it is determined that he would have landed in bounds with control had the defense not intervened. (that was really convoluted, but you know what I mean...)

So far in the preseason I have noticed every defense making a concerted effort to push WR's out of bounds before they can get both feet in. I think this is going to have a huge impact on Offensive strategy this year. Offenses are going to have to limit the amount of sideline patterns run by receivers or come up with some sort of adjustment to keep defenders from forcing offensive player's out. Whether it's keeping the ball low on outside routes, simply throwing to the inside shoulder or some other method, I'm really looking forward to seeing how offensive coordinators adjust.
I think it may help us more than other teams, because those are the kind of routes that JC has problems with. I think that is why we have so many problems in the redzone.

heck why not just put up walls on the sidelines and make it the arena league.

don't like the rule. it basically bails out a trailing dback, and wastes a good route by a receiver.

quick question: anybody know why the ref's are old men who probably cant see very well?

I think the rule stinks. If you are inbounds when you go in the air to catch the ball and someone pushes you out while you are in the air how can you control that..Its a perfect example in the last game when Moss makes a catch near the sideline and is about to come down inbounds and gets pushed out. Why did they change this rule anyway?

Was it because the refs couldn't tell if a player was going to come down inbounds with the ball before he got pushed? Probably because of a lot of bad calls by the refs. So this means the QB has to be quicker releasing the ball on catches near the sidelines and saying that..if the receiver jumps up to catch the ball and catches it because he beat the DB..its a easy bail out..for the DB or defender. This also seems like it will lead to more INTs taken back for TDs. Because all of the balls will be throwed lower and pretty much have to be accurate (which they should be)..But if you have a receiver that can go up and get it..its harder for them to intercept when it is missed (because it would go out of bounds) than throwing the ball lower..