Offensive Pass Interference?

[UVACoug]

I have a question about offensive interference. I remember OC getting an offensive PI in the game on Saturday (the one before he got the penalty for talking to the refs). That ball was thrown to Pitta. How do you get a PI when the ball was not thrown to you? It seems like that happened in another game this year and the player called was nowhere near the play. I thought the ball had to be catchable to get an interference call. If it was thrown to Pitta, how could OC have interfered with it? I probably don't know the rules correctly or saw the play wrong. Can someone help me out with that?

[snoscythe]

Offensive pass interference is not the same as defensive pass interference. Here's a comparison:

Four types of OPI, the first three are the most familiar/common, #4 is what OC did Saturday:
1. Pushing-off for separation
2. Going through an established defender to get to the ball
3. Holding the defender or pulling on the defender to accelerate past him (slingshot)
4. Blocking downfield before the pass crosses the line of scrimmage

Six types of DPI (just for comparison):
1. Making contact with the receiver without playing the ball
2. Playing through an established receiver
3. Holding/slingshot
4. Arm bars
5. Bumping receiver off pattern outside the contact zone (5 yds from LOS in NFL, before ball is thrown in NCAA)
6. Hooking/turning the receiver's body (pretty much #3, but you don't necessarily have to hold him to do it)

If you can learn these ten violations, you will be light-years ahead of most commentators and pundits who hear PI and think "contact." Contact, jostling, handfighting, etc. are all legitimate as long as you don't violate one of the ten no-no's. You'll notice that holding a receiver/defender is not a penalty in and of itself. You need something more to put it over the edge. The arm bar is significant as well---a receiver can have his hand/arm on a defender the entire route to feel where the defender is while he is looking for the ball. If the defender tries to feel the receiver for more than a moment or two, arm-bar and a flag.

This is part of what made Collie a fantastic receiver and allowed him to gain so much separation--he understood the rules and the limits and made them work for him. Problem was that the MWC refs apparently don't know much more than the MWC announcers.

[WACoug]

You'll notice that holding a receiver/defender is not a penalty in and of itself.

Wouldn't this be called defensive holding if it was called on a defender?

[UVACoug]

Offensive pass interference is not the same as defensive pass interference. Here's a comparison:

Four types of OPI, the first three are the most familiar/common, #4 is what OC did Saturday:
1. Pushing-off for separation
2. Going through an established defender to get to the ball
3. Holding the defender or pulling on the defender to accelerate past him (slingshot)
4. Blocking downfield before the pass crosses the line of scrimmage

Six types of DPI (just for comparison):
1. Making contact with the receiver without playing the ball
2. Playing through an established receiver
3. Holding/slingshot
4. Arm bars
5. Bumping receiver off pattern outside the contact zone (5 yds from LOS in NFL, before ball is thrown in NCAA)
6. Hooking/turning the receiver's body (pretty much #3, but you don't necessarily have to hold him to do it)

If you can learn these ten violations, you will be light-years ahead of most commentators and pundits who hear PI and think "contact." Contact, jostling, handfighting, etc. are all legitimate as long as you don't violate one of the ten no-no's. You'll notice that holding a receiver/defender is not a penalty in and of itself. You need something more to put it over the edge. The arm bar is significant as well---a receiver can have his hand/arm on a defender the entire route to feel where the defender is while he is looking for the ball. If the defender tries to feel the receiver for more than a moment or two, arm-bar and a flag.

This is part of what made Collie a fantastic receiver and allowed him to gain so much separation--he understood the rules and the limits and made them work for him. Problem was that the MWC refs apparently don't know much more than the MWC announcers.

Thanks!! I figured it was just my lack of knowledge of the rules.

[GolfDiveNCougs]

I didn't know MOST of those rules. Cool! I could be a MWC Announcer AND Referee!!!

[snoscythe]

You'll notice that holding a receiver/defender is not a penalty in and of itself.

Wouldn't this be called defensive holding if it was called on a defender?

You are correct--I should have clarified that holding is not a pass-interference penalty in and of itself without something more. Hold + pull = PI. Simply closing your hand with some jersey = holding.

Practically speaking though, it's going to be a PI call everytime. You don't close your hand on someone unless you are going to do something with it.

[edited when I reread my original statement and saw the ambiguity]

[Sammich]

Offensive pass interference is not the same as defensive pass interference. Here's a comparison:

Four types of OPI, the first three are the most familiar/common, #4 is what OC did Saturday:
1. Pushing-off for separation
2. Going through an established defender to get to the ball
3. Holding the defender or pulling on the defender to accelerate past him (slingshot)
4. Blocking downfield before the pass crosses the line of scrimmage

Six types of DPI (just for comparison):
1. Making contact with the receiver without playing the ball
2. Playing through an established receiver
3. Holding/slingshot
4. Arm bars
5. Bumping receiver off pattern outside the contact zone (5 yds from LOS in NFL, before ball is thrown in NCAA)
6. Hooking/turning the receiver's body (pretty much #3, but you don't necessarily have to hold him to do it)

If you can learn these ten violations, you will be light-years ahead of most commentators and pundits who hear PI and think "contact." Contact, jostling, handfighting, etc. are all legitimate as long as you don't violate one of the ten no-no's. You'll notice that holding a receiver/defender is not a penalty in and of itself. You need something more to put it over the edge. The arm bar is significant as well---a receiver can have his hand/arm on a defender the entire route to feel where the defender is while he is looking for the ball. If the defender tries to feel the receiver for more than a moment or two, arm-bar and a flag.

This is part of what made Collie a fantastic receiver and allowed him to gain so much separation--he understood the rules and the limits and made them work for him. Problem was that the MWC refs apparently don't know much more than the MWC announcers.

THIS is why I love this site (and back in the day, CB). Thanks for the enlightenment!

[Mars]

THIS is why I love this site (and back in the day, CB). Thanks for the enlightenment!

I'm a smart guy, but my football smarts don't nearly come close to some on this site. Which is why I love it.

[cachevalleycougar]

So the rule of bumping/pushing within 5 yards is only an NFL rule? You always hear college analysts bring this up..."you see, he bumped him beyond 5 yards, so that's where the flag came from."

[CDH]

Here is a question I have? What about on those WR screens like the one UNM scored on. Can a OL or WR block the DB(before the ball is caught or while the ball is in the air) if the ball is thrown behind the line of scrimmage? This is a play I honestly do not understand how it works or why it is not PI. Can a DB fight through the block and hit the WR before the ball gets there? I can see if the ball is thrown backwards so it is a fumble if dropped but if you can throw this pass forward and block the DB before it gets there, this play is almost unstoppable if executed properly!! IMO