Report: NFL 'almost certainly' won't renew pass interference review rule for second season

Frank Schwab
Updated

The NFL reacted to a blown call in the NFC championship game two seasons ago by allowing pass interference to be a reviewable call.

It went about as expected.

While it makes logical sense to make all calls reviewable and not just picking and choosing some like the spot of the ball or if a player caught the ball before it hit the ground, the pass interference reviews last season were criticized by basically everyone. There wasn’t a lot of consistency with what was upheld and what was overturned.

And it seems the pass interference reviews will go away after one season.

PI review rule unlikely to be extended

NFL.com’s Judy Battista reported that as part of the NFL competition committee’s scheduled meetings in late May, the pass interference rule will “almost certainly” not be extended.

The rule came to be after the New Orleans Saints didn’t get an obvious pass interference call at the end of an NFC championship game against the Los Angeles Rams, an egregious non-call that changed who played in the Super Bowl. The Saints complained, and the rule was passed. Teams could challenge PI calls or non-calls they thought were pass interference.

After an uneven season of calls on pass interference reviews, a majority of teams were not in favor of extending the rule for a season, according to a report. It’s no surprise that the rule could be going away.

Tennessee Titans' Tramaine Brock is called for interference on a pass intended for Kansas City Chiefs' Mecole Hardman (17) in last season's AFC championship game. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
The Tennessee Titans' Tramaine Brock is called for interference on a pass intended for the Kansas City Chiefs' Mecole Hardman (17) in last season's AFC championship game. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Inconsistency plagued PI rule

The biggest problem with the pass interference reviews was the lack of consistency.

For the first part of the season, there were very few calls changed after review. It seemed officials were under the guidance to only change PI calls if they were obvious. Then later in the season, more calls started being changed. It was impossible to get a read on whether a challenge would be successful or not.

The inconsistency was maddening for coaches, players and fans. But it seems we’re headed to a predictable conclusion: The PI rule will last one year and fade away into NFL infamy.

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Originally published