Can anyone tell me that if a defender plays the receiver, not the ball, when needs to happen to become pass interference?

FED Rules only.
 

In FED rules, you have to have contact of some kind to have a DPI or OPI call. The only time you do not have to have contact is when a player is face guarding. I am not sure what you mean by "playing the defender and not the ball." A defender can always "play the defender" as long as he does not contact make contact with that receiver before the ball arrives or he is making an honest attempt at the ball.

Not sure that answers your question, but I tried. ;)

Peace

Rut,

Thanks. Another question. If the defender is facing the receiver and the receiver slows up to make an attempt to catch the ball, and the defender does not make an attempt to catch or bat the ball if there is contact, is it DPI? (sorry so long)

If he interferes with the opportunity to make the catch, then yes, DPI.

I would think so. It does not matter if they are aware of the ball or not. They cannot make contact with a receiver before the ball gets there. The only way you would even consider this type of contact incidental is if the defender was clearly was playing the ball and did so without impeding the progress of the receiver. BTW, the same thing applies against the offensive player.

Peace

Thanks Guy's! I am working with a local coach who has brought this up. I just wanted to see if I was correct in what I have read about this. Good luck this weekend!

Re: FED Rules only.
 

Sorry Rut, but not true, as per Casebook play 7.5.10, Situation C. If one of the players makes no attempt to catch the ball, and hinders the vision of the opposing player, PI can be called, and as the CB ruling states, this is the only time PI can be called without contact. I believe (please correct me if I am wrong), under NCAA rules, there has to be contact to have pass interference.

Did you not read the entire post?
 

Did you read the next sentence?

"The only time you do not have to have contact is when a player is face guarding"

Peace

You are correct that in the NCAA, faceguarding is legal.

Well, we all agree that you do not have to have contact to call PI.

But, what if you had deliberate PI?

15 yards + auto 1st Down
plus another 15 yards for being deliberate PI

Try to explain that to a coach

Re: Did you not read the entire post?
 

I only said something, because there was no "except" in the sentence "in FED rules, you have to have contact of some kind to have a DPI or OPI call." Now to me (and I could be totally wrong!) face guarding is looking at the face of the receiver to tell when the ball is coming, etc. It is not necessarily hindering the receiver's vision, and, using that definition, I don't think that face guarding is, by itself, a foul.

Re: Re: Did you not read the entire post?
 

Look at <b>7.5.10 Situation C.</b>

A1 or B1 is in position where he might catch or intercept a forward pass beyond the NZ. An opponent, who is in the vincinity, waves his arms to block the vision of the potential reciever or interceptor.

<b>RULING:</b> Hindering an opponent's vision without making an attempt to catch, intercept or bat the ball, is PI even though no contact was made. This is the only situation in which there may be PI without contact.

Right out the casebook.

Peace

Re: Re: Re: Did you not read the entire post?
 

Well, my original point was that it CAN be a foul for pass interference with no contact being made. All I am saying is that if a player does not "play" the ball, but at the same time he does not hinder the vision of a potential receiver, I do not have a foul.

Oh, so true
 

PSU that's a good synopsis of events as they unfold.

If a player raises his hands and hinders the vision of the receiver, it is face guarding and pass interference. If the defender is just on the field and a low pass comes towards the area and his body blocks the receiver's vision, then no foul. rut has been right all along.

WHAT?
 

An eligible receiver must be afforded an un-hindered path to the football.

I don't care where the ball is, if B hinders A then it is PI.

So if B is moving to catch the ball and hinders A you have PI?

I had a play last night that I didn't drop the flag on, but could have for DPI. Freshman game, reciever is running a fly pattern defender is right behind. The pass is underthrown and the head wind didn't help out much. The recieve starts to slow up, defender slows up as well...its obvious the corner has no clue where the ball is and doesn't want to interfer with the reciever. The defender puts his hands in the air, uncler to me (at U/BJ...three man) if his intentions are to block vision or not touch the reciever. Ball falls 7-8 yards short of reciever, never any contact between the defender and the reciever. I didn't throw the flag. I understand that catch-ability isn't a criteria, but in my mind I define face gaurding as a very specific action.

In my judgement, unless the defenders hand is within a foot or two of the recievers face, it isn't face gaurding. In my mind the is a distinct difference between placing ones hands in the air and actively trying to block a reciever vision. Later the white hat said he thought that it was face gaurding, but the more i think about it and the more I reflect on my descision, I don't think I would drop the flag had the same play happened again.

REPLY: Just my thoughts...since there was no contact, face-guarding was your only possible infraction. But if the ball was underthrown that much, the defender couldn't have effectively been blocking the reeceiver's vision of the ball. I also would have probably passed on the call. If the offense wanted a call, all they needed to do is begin to move back toward the pass and allow the DB to contact him since the DB was clearly not playing the ball. And now the 64,000 dollar question.....why was you white hat watching a fly pattern deep down your sideline and offering his opinion on it??