I was working a game last Friday night. The WR was bumped off the line and then bumped again about 15 yards downfield before the ball was thrown. The ball was then thrown to that WR which caught the ball and was tackled at the spot. No flag was thrown on the play. The coach insisted that I should have thrown a flag for pass interference. I explained to him that there was no contact after the ball was in the air, therefore there was no pass interference. He disagreed with me saying that it is pass interference since the receiver was bumped more than 5 yards downfield.

Is my interpretation of pass interference correct? Should there have been a flag for illegal contact?

Based on NF rules and what you have told us there was no pass interference on this play. There is also no such thing as illegal contact in NF rules. 7-5-8 interference restrictions on a legal forward pass begin at the snap for A and when the ball leaves the passer's hand for B. Once an A player is even with a B player and not trying to block B then B can't be trying to block A from getting down field 9-2-3d. This coach was trying to use NFL rules when he mentioned the contact after 5 yards. The only call you may have had was illegal use-of-hands for that contact 15 yards downfield.

Illegal use of hands was what I meant to say instead of illegal contact. I tried and tried to explain to him there was no PI but he wasn't buying it. I had my white hat come over and try to explain it but they just would not accept that rule. I hope they look it up and understand it so they can properly coach their team.

Your ruling was correct for both Fed and NCAA rules on the question of DPI. And, in neither code is there an illegal contact foul for contact beyond 5 yards. When the coach starts plying his trade on Sunday afternoons in stadiums with 80,000 people, he'll have a valid gripe...but not now!

Think of it this way. A knows the play and is restricted from blocking if a forward pass is thrown beyond the LOS. B does not know when or if a pass is to be thrown until it is thrown. That is why pass interference begins for A or B when it does.

However, if B restricts or bumps A he gains an advantage as he may knock a player off his route and if that player is not blocking him a pass could be imminent. B gains an advantage when he commits the act but it is not pass interference.