Increase in holding flags result of NFL directive
As Week 1 demonstrated, the NFL intends to have its on-field officials throw more flags for offensive holding than in 2020.
Officials have been specifically instructed this season to call offensive holding more or less on pre-2019 thresholds, league sources told Postmedia this week
That means not nearly as often as in 2019, when offensive holding calls skyrocketed when officials too closely interpreted a tweak to the rules that, for safety's sake, forbade all blindside blocks on all plays.
But rather, more along the lines of how offensive holding had been called pre-2019. Meaning way more than last year's low-count anomaly.
The decision was made early this past off-season by the league's designated keeper of the rules, the powerful competition committee. In its annual report to owners and clubs (issued in March), the committee instructed the league's officiating department to crack down on offensive holding in 2021.
Owners approved the report, meaning they approved the crackdown, after the committee walked them through the reasoning, as it does annually with all officiating or rules changes.
This came after the competition committee identified and showed to everyone last February and March — from the coaches subcommittee, to player union reps, to the NFL operations department, to officiating department leaders — videos showing dozens of offensive holding infractions that went uncalled last season. Called offensive holding penalties specifically numbered 547 in 2020 — down 39 per cent from the 902 called in 2019, down 38 per cent from 881 in 2018, and down 33 per cent from 820 in 2017.
Isolating Week 1 alone in recent seasons reveals totals even more schizophrenic, per the NFL:
■ 2021: 53
■ 2020: 18
■ 2019: 82
■ 2018: 64
■2017: 58
Chronologically, that's a 10 per cent Week 1 rise in 2018, a 28 per cent rise in 2019, a 78 per cent drop in 2020 and a 194 per cent rise this year. To start recent seasons, then, the threshold bar for offensive holding is going up and down like a CN Tower elevator.
It must be driving players and coaches crazy.
That said, everyone in the league was informed about this year's change months ago, sources say.
You may have noticed the change wasn't listed among this year's officiating “points of emphasis,” an annual category of announced crackdowns on existing rules. Rather, the change was listed as an explicit “officiating position” by the competition committee in its annual report to owners.
This is important because labelling it an “officiating position” means it wasn't a suggestion to the officiating department, but rather an explicit directive. A terse official directive, if you will. And it's more than a little meaningful.
Think there was a correlation between last year's whistle-swallowing on offensive holding and the offensive yards and points explosions we saw, especially to start the season?
Of course there was. No frequently called penalty kills a drive — or drives fans more nuts — than an inopportune offensive holding flag.
Through Week 5 last year, a record number of touchdowns (453) and points (3,958) were scored, with offensive holding penalties down 56 per cent. Coincidence? Hardly.
Traditionally — that is, before the last two seasons — the average NFL offensive holding calls per game numbered just over three. For example, 3.4 in 2018, 3.2 in 2017, and 3.3 in 2016.
Last season's average, under an unannounced mandate of calling offensive holding only when clear and obvious, was 2.1.
Last week's average, after off-season interjection by the competition committee? Right in line with pre-2019: 3.3.
Dean Blandino, formerly the NFL'S head of officiating and now an officiating analyst on Fox Sports' NFL and college games, said during a phone interview Thursday he would be happy to see a return to traditional offensive holding call frequency.
“Last year was historically low for the entire season,” Blandino said.
“I mean, it was probably the lowest since the early '70s. And in 2019, there was that whole emphasis over the first couple of weeks that almost felt like an over-correction. Numbers were extremely high.
“There has been such a wide variance. That creates issues when you're coaching the offensive line and trying to understand the standard. Hopefully, the numbers stay consistent for the rest of the year. If it does stay roughly where it was in Week 1, that's more or less where it's been historically, and that would be a good thing.”
After Week 5 last season, Blandino said it wouldn't take long for savvy coaches and offensive lineman to abuse the holding call leniency.
On Thursday, Blandino added these points.
“I think we're seeing a recognition that, last year, offensive holding calls were on the low end. That creates issues. If you allow holding to occur at those types of levels, then the defensive linemen get frustrated . ... That's why the game becomes more physical and potentially even more violent.
“The rules are there so players can decide the game with their skill, their technique, and not gain any unfair advantage. This (year's change) is more along the lines of what's in the rule book, and that's a positive thing.”