IRVING, Texas — The NFL is considering ejections for roughing-the-passer penalties and hits on defenseless players, although league executive Troy Vincent expressed caution on how such rulings would be enforced.
Vincent, a former player, said at the NFL owners meetings Wednesday the ejections were part of a discussion including roughing-the-passer calls among reviewable plays.
“The officials, I must say, have been pretty consistent with and very accurate when making that call,” said Vincent, the league’s vice president of football operations. “But they’re human.”
Any changes wouldn’t happen until the offseason, Vincent said, adding that any changes would have to be weighed against the length of games and other factors.
“It’s a personal foul and there’s a ton of fouls in that category,” Vincent said. “Where does it end? Again, the most impactful play in football is pass interference. Now we start including the personal foul. But that’s why we’ll discuss it. I’ll be looking forward to this discussion.”
Asked how realistic it would be for the NFL to adopt a rule similar to the targeting call in college, Vincent seemed skeptical. He said he was speaking more as a former player than as someone considering a rule change on the competition committee.
Vincent said the replay center should continue assisting in calls that have already been made, rather than deciding those calls.
The NFL made pass interference reviewable for only one season before reversing that decision.
“I think chasing perfection is a dangerous place to go for the National Football League and, frankly, for officiating,” Vincent said. “And that’s what happens with the cameras, replay. You begin chasing perfection, which is not a good place for the game.”
