Can You Challenge Pass Interference in the NFL?

Did you know that you can challenge pass interference in the NFL? Learn all about how this works, and whether or not it’s a good idea to do so.

What is pass interference?

Pass interference is a rule in American football that prohibits contact by an offensive player beyond the line of scrimmage if that player is judged to be impeding the progress of a defender trying to catch a forward pass.

The definition of pass interference

In American football, pass interference (PI) is a foul that occurs when a player interferes with an opposing receiver’s ability to make a fair catch on a pass. It is generally committed by a defensive player, although it can be committed by an offensive player as well.

Pass interference may include tripping, shoving, pushing,pulling or cutting in front of the receiver. It does not necessarily need to be done with the intention of preventing the catch; such as when a defender accidentally gets tangled up with the receiver while both are going for the ball. If the ball is caught despite the interference, the interference penalty will still be called but will be negated.

The history of pass interference

Pass interference is a judgment call made by the officials on the field. It is not reviewable by instant replay, except in the final two minutes of each half and overtime, when all scoring plays are automatically reviewed.

The rule was created in 1937 to prevent defensive players from colliding with receivers beyond five yards from the line of scrimmage. In 1952, it was extended to include interference within five yards of the line. In 1954, the rule was again amended to penalize both offensive and defensive players for pass interference.

In 1998, the rule was tweaked to give officials more latitude in making a pass interference call. The change resulted in more offense and higher scores, but also more penalties called for pass interference.

The most recent change to the rule came in 2015, when the NFL adopted a “catch or no catch” standard for pass interference. This meant that a receiver would have to be determined to be in possession of the ball before any contact occurred in order for pass interference to be called.

Pass interference continues to be one of the most controversial calls in football, and one that often has a significant impact on the outcome of a game

How is pass interference called?

In order to challenge pass interference, a team must use one of its timeouts. If the challenge is successful, the timeout is not charged to the team. If the challenge is unsuccessful, the team is charged a timeout.

The process for calling pass interference

In the NFL, pass interference is a foul that occurs when a player interferes with an opponent in an attempt to catch a forward pass. Pass interference may includeContact beyond the five-yard “buffer zone” prior to the pass being thrown
Impeding the progress of an eligible receiver who is attempting to make a catch
Grabbing onto or tackling an eligible receiver in an attempt to make a catch
If any of these actions occurs, the referee will throw a flag and assess a penalty against the offending team. The penalty for pass interference is usually 15 yards, but it can be as much as 30 yards if it happens in the end zone.

The officials who call pass interference

In the NFL, there are four officials who call pass interference. They are the two umpires, the head linesman, and the back judge. The umpires are in charge of calling penalties in the offensive backfield, while the head linesman and back judge are responsible for penalties downfield. If any of these four officials sees a penalty, they will throw a flag to signal that a penalty has been called.

How can pass interference be challenged?

In the NFL, pass interference can be called on either the offense or defense. If pass interference is called, the offending team will be penalized with a loss of yardage. However, pass interference can be challenged by the head coach. If the challenge is successful, the penalty will be reversed. Let’s take a closer look at how this works.

The process for challenging pass interference

In the NFL, coaches are allowed to challenge plays within certain situations. One of those situations is if a coach believes there was pass interference on the play.

If a coach wants to challenge pass interference, they must do so before the next play starts. The coach will then notify the officials that they are challenging the play. The officials will then review the play in question and make a decision on whether or not there was indeed pass interference.

If the officials decide that there was no pass interference on the play, then the challenge will have been unsuccessful and the coach will lose a timeout. If the officials decide that there was pass interference on the play, then the challenge will have been successful and the penalty for pass interference will be enforced.

The officials who review pass interference

In the NFL, there are specific officials who are in charge of reviewing plays involving potential pass interference penalties. These officials are known as the “pass interference Challenge Center.”

The pass interference Challenge Center is located in New York City, and it is staffed by a team of officials who have the sole responsibility of reviewing all plays that involve potential pass interference penalties.

If a head coach challenges a play that he believes should have been called pass interference, the play will be reviewed by the pass interference Challenge Center. The officials at the center will then either confirm or overturn the call on the field.

What is the outcome of a pass interference challenge?

In the NFL, a pass interference challenge is when a coach throws a red flag on the field to challenge the referee’s call on the previous play. The head coach can challenge any call made on the field, including pass interference. If the challenge is successful, the penalty will be overturned and the team will retain possession of the ball. If the challenge is unsuccessful, the team will lose a timeout.

The possible outcomes of a pass interference challenge

If the challenge is successful, the penalty will be nullified and the team that challenged the call will retain its timeout. If the challenge is unsuccessful, not only will the penalty stand, but the team that challenged the pass interference call will lose a timeout.

The impact of a pass interference challenge on the game

In the NFL, if a coach believes that the officials made a mistake on a call, he can challenge the call. If the challenge is successful, the call is overturned and the team avoids being penalized. In the case of pass interference, however, there are additional implications.

If a coach challenges a pass interference call and the challenge is unsuccessful, not only will his team be penalized for the infraction, but they will also lose a timeout. This means that, in order to challenge a pass interference call, a coach must be absolutely certain that he will win the challenge. Otherwise, he risks putting his team at a disadvantage.