Changes in rules clarification

tampopo

At the end of this article about Brett Favre tieing Dan Marino's TD record, it says that "Dan Marino, who played between 19** and 19** before the rules were relaxed/changed to make scoring by passing easier."

Hmm, wonder what that was. Anyone got an idea, in layman's terms???

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/american_football/7009732.stm

tallaghtoutlaws

Only Rule I can think of was Pass Interference was introduced I could be wrong it was 1994 me thinks

heyjude

I assume it refers to the much stricter interpretation of the pass interference rules in recent years and also the much stricter enforcement of the rule concerning the distance(5yds) from the line of scrimmage in which defensive backs can jam/block wide receivers.

In Marinos' early years, DBs could do much more to stop receivers catching the ball than is allowed today and in the 1970's, defenders could more or less assault anyone and rarely drew a penalty.

The NFL realised that the public and TV would prefer to see high scoring games than low scoring ones, so the way the rules were interpreted was changed to make it easier for high powered passing attacks, which helped produce more high scoring games. Hence record attendances at games and record income from TV rights.

Vikings

It's also widely considered that QB's are offered a lot more protection from the rules nowadays than they were before with stricter roughing the passer penalties and such.

Anywho... fair play to him for breaking the record, I hope breaks the interceptions record against Minnesota, that would be sweet

Pherekydes

Mustangs wrote:

Anywho... fair play to him for breaking the record...

He didn't break it yet. But I'm sure he'll get it on Sunday in the Metrodome. That would be sweet.

Regarding the INT record: Yes, he'll break that too and probably against the Vikings, but more likely in week 10.

No Vikings' QB will ever play long enough to throw 277 INTs.

tampopo

Thanks for the replies. I came home from America in summer 94 and don't have sky sports so have missed that particular clarifcation.

Vikings

Slow coach wrote:

No Vikings' QB will ever play long enough to throw 277 INTs.

Actually.... if Tarvaris Jackson is ever allowed play again, at 4 picks per game it shouldn't take him all that long to notch up a few hundred