Holding penalties have gotten completely out of control during the 2019 season.
During Thursday Night football, the penalty calls against the Jaguars and Titans got so bad that even Tom Brady complained.
The league’s crackdown on offensive holding in 2019 has led to a 16.2 percent increase in total penalties compared to last year, including a 66 percent increase in offensive holding penalties, and that’s according to ESPN.
The league seemed to agree with Tom because they would change things going forward.
Per ESPN, “the NFL held a conference call Saturday night with its 17 referees to address a surge of flags for offensive holding this season, an effort to get the entire officiating department on the same page moving forward.”
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Fox Sports’ Mike Pereira reported NFL senior vice president of officiating Al Riveron initiated the conference call.
From Pereira: “Basically what he said to them was, ‘You’re doing a good job based on what the competition committee wanted you to do: Call holding on the backside of the play. But let’s not overreact. When you get to the front side and the point of the attack, if the hands get outside, give the blockers a chance to work their hands back inside.
‘And make sure, as the rules state, that there’s a material restriction before you make the call.'”
Thank goodness.
