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Show Letter To Editor Reasons For Rules... Having officiated NCAA football for 14 years and high school for 22 years, and based upon reliable information substantiating sub-stantiating why some rules do and some do not, change. During Dur-ing this period of time there have been many rule changes The reason for these changes are simply the game changes. THE REASON specific rules do not change is because of overwhelming evidence and statistics that reveal a specific rule should not be changed. These revelations are always based upon scientific evidence, evi-dence, intelligent facts, and It is a fallacy to assume then, that every play involving pass interference would have been a completed pass. The mere thought that all forward passes that are thrown are going to be completed or would have been completed had interference not occured is erroneous from its inception. (3) Statistics also reveal that those passes thrown over IS yards have less than a 5 percent per-cent completion ratio. (4) ALL defensive players are eligible to catch any forward for-ward pass. To change the rule that would provide that defensive defen-sive interference results in nntnmatir rnmnlctinn anil at sound reasoning and not, I repeat re-peat not, impulsive emotion. Statistics reveal, for ema-ple, ema-ple, that the average return of a kick-off in high school, leaves the ball at the receiver's 40 yard line. Which is interestingly, interest-ingly, the exact spot where the official will place the ball on those kick-offs that go out of bounds. THIS PENALTY actually hurts the receiver more than the kick-off team because it takes one offensive play away from the receivers where there is a greater chance of a long gain because of the open field, whereas, if the ball is put in play by a snap from the 40 yard iine, the defense is lined up on the ball. Statistics also reveal that 30 percent of all serious injuries take place on only one down, that is the kick off down. Remember Re-member safety of the players involved is also an important factor in the determination of the rules. NOW MAY I state the position posi-tion of why the penalty for pass interference is not 1st down at the spot of defensive interference. interfer-ence. Knowledgeable football rule authorities concur that the high school penalty code is the finest in football because it most effectively provides for a balance of play (and penalties) between offense and defense. CONSIDER THE significance signifi-cance of the following items in determining whether an exception ex-ception to the penalty code which would provide "awarding "award-ing the ball to the offensive team at the spot of defensive pass interference" is justified. (1) The average gain per completed pass including the run following the catch is less than 13 yards. Therefore, in most cases, the proposed change would result in a less penalty than it is now. (2) STATISTICS conform that less than 40 percent of all forward passes are completed. the same time to deny the defense de-fense possession when the offense interferes is definitely not equitable. (5) Interference does not always al-ways occur in the same area into which a pass is thrown. (6) AN unreasonable penalty would result from the proposed prop-osed change when interference interfer-ence takes place during a long pass in which there is only a slim possibility of completion because of the intended position posi-tion of the receiver. During this past season this was demonstrated in a Big 10 Conference game after defensive defen-sive interference occured during dur-ing a pass that traveled 10 feet over the receiver's head. The call changed the complexion of the game. The penalty resulted in a 56 yard gain with 1st down on the 4 yard line. The coach emphasized, "that rule has got to be changed no foul should be worth 56 yards!" THE NCAA rules committee would like very much to change the forward pass interference inter-ference rule, to the same as the high school rule which in 15 yards and an automatic first down. If the pass interference is intentional or unsportsmanlike unsportsman-like his team shall be penalized an additional 15 yards. However the NCAA is, at the present time, locked up in tradition and that is the reason they have not yet changed their rule. THE MERE fact that a pass has to be thrown fifty yards to score in the closing seconds indicates in-dicates that it was a good defensive de-fensive effort that had kept the offense 50 yards from the goal and to award a 50 yard penalty in this situation negates, which evidently up to that point, had been good defensive play. These are the reasons why these penalty enforcements are administrated the way they are. 1 Sincerely, Dr. Paul R. Cook |