PI can be a very tough call. Things to think about....

1- Both teams have equal right to catch the ball as long as they don't interfere with the opportunity of the other team to catch the ball.

2- It is the responsibility of the receiver to avoid initial contact with the defense.

3- As mentioned earlier, tangling of the feet/legs is not interference.

4- No matter what you call, one team is going to be very unhappy.

REPLY: Chicken...good no-call.

Did he interfer with the receiver running his route? I'm sure you are going to say no flag, but in that thinking why wouldn't a line backer "slip" anytime he can so the receiver trip over him. I know we are talking about a judgment call and it's hard to determine without seeing it. A B player can not impede or interfer with the receiver right to run his route and get to the ball. I think it is DPI.

Actually it was our receiver who was tripped and the LJ said it was incidental contact even tho the ball was in the air and past the LOS...my question to him was exactly what you said "Why wouldn't we always "slip" in front of receivers then...

In the example I originally stated this is exacty why DPI was called, the defender intentially stepped in the route and made no attempt to get the ball.