Bill Belichick weighs in on pass interference in college vs. the NFL
Patriots coach Bill Belichick would like to see the rules be more consistent between the college and professional levels of football.
“I mean, right now, there are over 60 differences between the college and professional playing rules,” he said Friday morning via WebEx conference. “I think that’s somewhat confusing for fans.”
Earlier this week, on “The Rich Eisen Show,” Belichick was asked if he could change one rule in the NFL, which would he change? He chose pass interference.
“I think it’s a big penalty for pass interference,” Belichick said.
The ensuing penalty is the biggest difference in how pass interference is treated at the two levels. In college, the maximum penalty for defensive pass interference is 15 yards. If the infraction occurred closer to the line of scrimmage, then the ball goes to the spot of the foul. In the NFL, on the other hand, the maximum penalty is the spot of the foul.
If a defensive player were to commit an infraction on a 30-yard pass attempt, for example, the college offense would only get 15 yards, whereas the NFL offense would get 30.
“Whatever it is, it is,” Belichick said.
According to Belichick, the intricacy of the rules can become “kind of complex” at any level, so establishing some consistency can facilitate a smoother training process for the players.
“Sometimes you’ve just got to go in and really read the fine print in there,” Belichick said. “When you go from one thing in college to the same situation, but now it’s officiated differently at our level, then that can be somewhat challenging and confusing for players until they get adjusted to it and adapt to it.”
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