My problem with the tuck rule is that if you coach your quaterbacks right, they can never fumble.

I am of course talking about the New England vs Oakland playoff game a couple years ago.

It was clear that Tom Brady was not throwing the ball, but moving his arm in a throwing motion and making a pump-fake. Why don't teams coach their quarterbacks to, from the time they take the ball from center on a pass play, as they drop back and survey the field, to the time they actually throw the ball, continuously pump-fake the ball ?
That way they can never fumble. If I understand Mike Pereira's explanation of the tuck rule, than this must be true.
Any thoughts ?

REPLY: Two thoughts: one, if the player is continuously pump faking, he'll never be able to set properly to actually throw the pass. And two, if he's continually pump faking, he's bringing the ball <u>back</u> just as often as he's bringing it forward.

Not true.

Every time the QB fakes, the ball goes back, then forward. If he were hit while his arm was going back, it would be a fumble if he lost the ball.

Beyond that, it's not that big of an issue for QB's Honestly, out of all the times they stand in the pocket, how many times are they hit and lose the ball? Maybe once in 1000 situations? What's the point in pump faking over and over again, just to avoid a possible fumble in that one situation?

I don't see it.

....out of all the times they stand in the pocket, how many times are they hit and lose the ball? Maybe once in 1000 situations?

Apparently, you haven't gotten a load of Drew Bledsoe's act lately. More like once every four situations.

I see what you are saying, if you are taking the ball back you can still fumble. I still believe the tuck rule is a sham, calling a pump-fake a pass attempt is a joke.

So you think a better solution would be to call a pumpfake a live ball? Okay so how do referees differentiate between the two?

-snake

The same way they call the entire game , by their discretion, the same way they make holding calls and pass interference calls.

Either you have a pass attempt or you don't. There is no gray area. In determining Holding or not holding, PI or not PI is a judgment call. The pump fake would be too difficult to determine. Using your reasoning the Ref would have to ask himself this question to determine if it was a fake. "Was he trying to pass the ball or was he trying to fake it?" Nobody on this earth can determine what the QB's intentions were except for him and God. The rules aren't written for us to make guesses. So for the Ref it's easy. It was a forward pass attempt as long as his arm was moving forward. Simple as that.