PI and faceguarding

[TXMike]

For the same reason that putting your hands in front of the QB's face is not roughing the passer.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by TXMike

For the same reason that putting your hands in front of the QB's face is not roughing the passer.

This is a really bad analogy, for the reasons JugglingReferee has already mentioned.

[TXMike]

If I put my hands in the QB's face to block his vision I am not "playing the ball" .

[Rich]

Originally Posted by TXMike

If I put my hands in the QB's face to block his vision I am not "playing the ball" .

You're not interfering with his attempt to catch a pass, either.

[TXMike]

But you are interfering with his attempt to successfully complete a pass. What is the diff?

[Bob M.]

REPLY: MICoach...All discussions of the value of the faceguarding rule aside, if the play occurred exactly as you have described it, it wouldn't seem that your defender's raising his hands in any way could have interfered with the receiver's attempt to catch the pass. Remember two things: (1) a defender who's not looking back and playing the ball will be a lot more suspect for passinterference than one who is, and (2) often (not always...but often), Little League football gets the services of Little League officials, many times younger inexperienced officials who are just learning the ropes.