“I’d hate to see replay do this to us but, you could say we are just going to play it differently. Tony Dungy June 1, 2019Īnd with the NFL intending to exclude Hail Marys from the list of reviewable pass interference plays, a new definition will need to be established beyond “survival of the fittest”, one that McKay could see ultimately changing the play altogether. Why should illegal activity be allowed because it’s the last play of the game? Don’t the rules apply all the time? Or is it just parts of the play? Are they saying you can’t be offsides, linemen can’t hold, but receivers and DBs can push off or grab.

We tell the officials, make sure you see if anybody gets pulled down or anybody gets dragged down, that is pass interference.”Ī philosophy that seemed not to sit well with Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy. Everybody is shoving, everybody is trying to get the ball, knock it down, or catch it. “Remember, in that play, officiating-wise, the philosophy has been since I have been in the League, it is survival of the fittest. In a rather strange admission during a press briefing at the NFL Spring Meeting, while Competition Committee Chairman Rich McKay discussed how the league would attempt to deal with the play when the new rules came into effect, he also shone a light on the absurd way referees currently approach the play.

And while an expansion of instant replay rules will now allow teams to challenge questionable pass interference calls, even when they are not flagged on the field, the league has already made it clear that Hail Mary plays will be exempt from this amendment. Of all the plays that fans could point to in the NFL that are consistently poorly officiated, the inevitable lack of calls that accompany a Hail Mary might be near the top of the list.

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