Pick plays
 

Is it a penalty if a defensive player get picked (knocked off) on a pass route so that another receiver can get open? If the ball is in the air? If the ball is not in the air?

If another offensive player picks him, then it's pass interference, either way, once the ball is thrown.

Unless, of course, the pass is behind the line of scrimmage.

True, but I'll bet a game fee that's not what he's asking about.

We get paid for this? :D

Who knows? I've had coaches scream for a flag when the pass is behind the line of scrimmage.

Canadian Ruling
 

CANADIAN RULING:

Because all B player are eligible, a defensive player being picked is OPI. 15 yards (unrestricted), repeat the down.

If the ball is not in the air, it's Illegal Contact on an Eligible Receiver and just 10 yards.

If it is done completely on purpose, every time this is illegal. But there are times when players run into each other too. Most of the time yes, a very small percentage no. Just because there is contact does not mean it is a foul.

Peace

If the player doing the picking is beyond the neutral zone at the time of contact, and the pass is either already in the air or thrown afterward during the down and touches someone or something beyond the neutral zone, then it's interference by A. Of course you have to determine who was obstructing whom to know whether the player of A was actually knocking off the player of B, or whether it was a nothing.

OPI restrictions begin with the snap.

Well, yeah... but why did you underline "once the ball is thrown." Until the ball is thrown, any picking is just blocking. Once you have a thrown ball, then the picking (which may have happened before the throw) becomes OPI.

No pass, no OPI.

Confused about the section i bolded. Is this something other than Fed interpretation? I read in my FED book that the only requirement was a ball that goes beyond the neutral zone. Could the something be the ground? What about a throw that lands OOB?

I agree with Mike. You cannot have pass interference (offensive or defensive) unless the ball is in the air.

Yes.
It's still got to touch someone or something to be OOB.

On further review, I see Fed & NCAA rules use the phrase "crosses the neutral zone" as the criterion. Does that include cases where the ball crosses the neutral zone twice, due to a headwind?

Robert in NCAA if the ball is blown back across the neutral zone before touching something beyond the neural zone then it is not considered to have crossed the neutral zone.

No - restrictions on the offense begin at the snap. For instance, A2 (a receiver), goes downfield and blocks B3. After the block, a forward pass is thrown beyond the LOS. You flag A2 for OPI.