PHOENIX — It is too late to save the luckless Saints and it will not officially be called the Sean Payton rule, but the NFL on Tuesday made a dramatic change in the way penalties are assessed. The league’s owners approved a rule that allows for offensive and defensive pass interference penalties — including non-calls — to be challenged by coaches and thus subject to review.
Starting this season, coaches will be allowed to challenge those calls in the first 28 minutes of each half. In the final two minutes of each half, those calls will be subject to a booth review. This rule change is in place only for the 2019 season and will be evaluated in order to determine if it becomes a permanent change.
The owners passed the provision 31-1 — only the Bengals voted against it at the annual league meeting.
“People compromised on long-held views because people wanted to get it right,’’ commissioner Roger Goodell said.
The owners clearly heard the outrage out of New Orleans after an infamous non-call in the NFC Championship cost the Saints the game and allowed the Rams to advance to the Super Bowl. Late in the fourth quarter, Rams defensive back Nickell Robey-Coleman blatantly interfered with Saints receiver Tommylee Lewis well before Drew Brees’ pass arrived. Afterward, a disgusted Payton said, “I don’t know if there was ever a more obvious pass interference call.’’
The non-call forced the Saints to settle for a field goal and a 23-20 lead with 1:41 remaining in regulation. The Rams tied it with 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter and won the game 26-23 in overtime.
The non-call rocked the league and immediately after the game, Payton revealed a league official called him and apologized.
A member of the league’s competition committee, Payton worked tirelessly to make sure this would not happen again.
“We had to go around the Grand Canyon and do a few laps around the Southwest here,’’ Payton said after hearing the rule change was approved.
Pass interference was always viewed as a judgment call and thus not subject to review. A byproduct of this change could be longer games, as pass interference calls and non-calls will now be scrutinized, though coaches will still have just two challenges per game.
“I think it’s more of that ‘owe it to the game’ that we have responsibility, and really, I mean that,’’ Payton said. “This isn’t going to be perfect always, and we know that. The mere shape of the ball tells you it’s not going to bounce the same way. But these are fouls that the analysts are able to point and say, ‘Hey, they’re the most impactful fouls.’ I think we got it right.”
Giants coach Pat Shurmur indicated before the final vote he was in favor of being able to challenge pass interference penalties.
“Everyone wants to get things right,’’ Shurmur said. “If we can find a way to make things that are wrong right then I am for it.’’
