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Thursday 17 OcTOber 2019
Goodell: pass interference reviews are working as expected

By STEVEN WINE by two great teams sur-
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) prising people about the
— NFL commissioner Roger way they're playing. And
Goodell says the new vid- it's tough. We have to con-
eo review rule for pass in- tinue to do everything to
terference is working as ex- improve.
pected, with only obvious "But that's sports. You see it
mistakes by officials being in every sport."
corrected. On other topics, the com-
Through Week 6, the league missioner said:
has had 44 reviews related — Labor discussions on a
to pass interference, and new collective bargaining
the on-field ruling was re- agreement have touched
versed seven times. on the possible expansion
"I think coaches under- to a 17-game season. The
stood replay was not go- Super Bowl would be one
ing to correct every pass week later, and the season
interference close call," would still start the week
Goodell said Wednesday after Labor Day. Larger ros-
at the close of the two-day ters might accompany a
owners' meetings. "It's not longer season.
possible to make it perfect, Goodell said the CBA talks
and we're not re-officiating NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell arrives at a news conference after the NFL Fall league meeting, have been productive,
these plays. The thought Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. but he declined to pre-
process was to correct the Associated Press dict when a deal might be
obvious and clear error. I reached.
think it's settling out where said, coaches understood terference reviews are be- penalties and, most recent- — Despite the Miami Dol-
we expected." that close calls wouldn't be ing handled properly. But ly, a critical call in Mon- phins' historically bad start
The new rule approved as changed. The reversal rate he agreed with Goodell day's Lions-Packers game during a rebuilding effort,
a one-year experiment al- so far is 16 percent. that the goal was to reverse that the league admitted Goodell said he's not con-
lows pass interference calls "Whenever there's a rule only egregious mistakes. was wrong. cerned about teams sac-
or non-calls to be chal- change, there's a period "It's got to be an obvious The erroneous hands- rificing a season for a high
lenged by coaches and of adapting, and coach- error," McKay said. "It's a to-the-face flag tainted draft pick and diminishing
reviewed via replay. But es are testing to see what brand new rule, one our Green Bay's 23-22 win. But the NFL's competitiveness.
complaints by coaches, types of changes are going coaches, players, fans and Goodell said such contro- "The good news for us is we
players and fans about to be made," Goodell said. officials are getting accus- versy is part of any sport. don't see that," he said. "I
pass interference persist, Rich McKay, Atlanta Fal- tomed to." "You never want to see a don't think the league has
with some arguing more cons president and a mem- Officiating has been a hot game where people are ever been more competi-
calls should be reversed. ber of the NFL competition topic this season, with con- talking about officials af- tive. You can see that in
When the rule was ad- committee, said it's too troversy about pass inter- terward," Goodell said. "It teams going from last to
opted last spring, Goodell early to judge whether in- ference, the rate of holding was a great game played first in dramatic fashion."q
NFL: Preseason game concussion rate increased by 44%

By STEVEN WINE the need to teach proper bate about such calls.
AP Sports Writer techniques and rules to Rich McKay, Atlanta Fal-
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) players new to the league, cons president and a mem-
— The NFL says the number Sills said."A lot of the players ber of the NFL competition
of concussions in exhibition who have been injured in committee, said it's too
games this year rose to 49 games don't end up mak- soon to say whether the
from 34 in 2018, an increase ing the roster," he said. rule is a success.
of 44% and a setback in ef- Players are adopting at an "I don't think we would give
forts to reduce brain trau- unprecedented rate hel- a summation on whether a
ma. mets deemed the safest by rule that has been in place
"We have more work to the league and players as- for six weeks is working or
do," said Dr. Allen Sills, the sociation. All but 13 players, not," McKay said. "Let's let
league's chief medical of- or 99%, were using the hel- the season play out."
ficer, at the owners' meet- mets in Week 5 of this sea- Through Week 6, the league
ings Tuesday. son, compared with 41% has had 44 reviews related
Concussions in preseason Dr. Allen Sills, right, the NFL's chief medical officer, speaks as Jeff two years ago, the league to pass interference, and
Miller, the league's executive vice president of health and safe-
practices fell to 30 from 45 ty initiatives, looks on during a news conference at the NFL Fall said. the on-field ruling was re-
in 2018, perhaps a reflec- League Meeting, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Helmet safety is deter- versed seven times.
tion of the NFL's decision Associated Press mined in laboratory studies. McKay noted that pass in-
this year to eliminate drills Owners also discussed the terference is subjective,
that involve especially vio- preseason declined to 16 More study regarding new rule approved as a which makes reviews of
lent one-on-one contact. from 28 in 2018. But the preseason concussions is one-year experiment that such potential penalties dif-
The total of 79 preseason concussion rate in exhibi- planned to assess who is allows pass interference ficult.
concussions in practice tion games was the highest being injured and how. calls or non-calls to be "We knew that would lead
and games was the same since 2015. It is disproportionately challenged by coaches the disagreement," McKay
a year ago. "Progress in helmet safety is rookie and first-year play- and reviewed via replay. said. "That didn't mean we
ACL injuries during the not always linear," Sills said. ers, which underscores The rule hasn't quelled de- shouldn't do it."q