The "Ty Law Rule"

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http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/story/355166p-302708c.html

Every NFL cornerback plays with an imaginary bulls'-eye on his back; it's an occupational hazard. Ty Law is carrying an extra target - so he believes - and he's not happy about it.
The Jets cornerback, who already has been called for five contact-related penalties (by far the most on the team), claimed yesterday that officials are singling him out in the continuing crackdown on illegal contact.

"I guess if they tagged it after me, I'm the one they're looking at," Law said.

Unofficially, it's known as the Ty Law Rule, a reference to the way Law and his former Patriots teammates roughed up the Colts' wide receivers in the 2003 AFC Championship Game. The Colts made a stink, and as a result, officials were instructed last season to place more emphasis on the illegal-contact penalty, which basically is this: Any contact with a receiver beyond five yards from the line of scrimmage is a no-no.

"(The Colts) complained so much about it that it should've been tagged after them - I mean, the Peyton Manning Rule or something like that," Law said. "It's making the job harder for the rest of the defensive backs around the league. It's no fun when you have to go out and play with those types of restrictions.

"It's like, man, pretty soon every game is going to be like the Pro Bowl," he continued, meaning high-scoring games with footballs filling the air. "That's what I'm afraid of as a player. This is still football. This isn't track or basketball or shirts and skins. I think they're taking away the nature of the game."

Law, one of the NFL's most accomplished cornerbacks, relies heavily on his aggressiveness while covering receivers. The stricter rule enforcement, combined with a serious foot injury last season with New England, prompted many to wonder if the Jets would ever see the vintage Law when they signed him in August.

By his own admission, Law isn't there yet, but he leads the Jets with two interceptions and appears to be approaching his past form. His 43-yard interception return was one of the biggest plays in last Sunday's win over the Bucs, but he also cost his team an interception, negating a pick by David Barrett with an illegal-contact penalty.

In five games, Law has five penalties for 43 yards, not counting a holding call that was declined. No other player on the defense has more than two penalties. Herm Edwards, a former cornerback, has talked to Law about getting picked on by the officials, and the coach's message was blunt: Get used to it.

"I told him, 'It's your rule. They're going to look at you harder than anybody else,'" Edwards said. "'As soon as you walk on the field, they're going to know your number. You can't even sneeze on a guy. You can barely touch a guy. If they don't call it on you, why implement the rule? They're sending a message to the rest of the guys. That's how this league works.'"

Law said he has no intention of changing his style unless it starts hurting the team. Former teammate Lawyer Milloy, who will face the Jets on Sunday as a safety for the Bills, said he'd be shocked if Law went finesse.

"He's going to play the way he plays, and that's that," Milloy said in a phone interview. "You can't let rules dictate how you play. If you do, you'll be out of this league. I think Ty takes it as more of an honor that they'd make a rule because of the way he knocked out those Colts receivers."

Perhaps, but Law claimed the amount of penalties leaguewide is "outrageous. That's something I think will have to be dealt with come the offseason at the owners' meetings. I think it's taking away from the game."
 
It's true. NFL total access did something on it. They said how many receivers have 100 yard games. See, when your giving the receiver cushion like DBs have to nowadays and when you can all but touch him, how are you gonna stop them?
 
Seems to me like the officials are calling more offensive PI so far this year than in the past. Either way they call it, offense or defense, quite a few of them are nit-picky calls that shouldn't be flagged in the first place.
 
#54 said:
Seems to me like the officials are calling more offensive PI so far this year than in the past. Either way they call it, offense or defense, quite a few of them are nit-picky calls that shouldn't be flagged in the first place.

Your right, which is why penalties seem to be sky high this year. Last year they called alot of soft calls as well.
 
Undertaker #59 said:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/story/355166p-302708c.html

"He's going to play the way he plays, and that's that," Milloy said in a phone interview. "You can't let rules dictate how you play. If you do, you'll be out of this league. I think Ty takes it as more of an honor that they'd make a rule because of the way he knocked out those Colts receivers."

Perhaps, but Law claimed the amount of penalties leaguewide is "outrageous. That's something I think will have to be dealt with come the offseason at the owners' meetings. I think it's taking away from the game."

Rushing, the Patriots have gained 405 yards total 3.2 yards per play, while their opponents have 574 yards total, 3.9 per play. Passing, the Patriots have 1474 yards total, 8.26 per play, while allowing opponents 1114 per game, 7.82 per play.

By comparison the Broncos, more of a running team, have rushing 742 total 4.8 per play, opponents 441 total 3.8 per play. Passing Broncos 822 total 5.67 per play, opponents 1171 total 6.49 per play.

These seem to be reasonable examples. Passing is the high risk high reward approach, longer gains but more plays that get you nothing. The Patriots ratio of getting about twice as much with the pass than the run is not unusual, but you have teams like the Broncos that run very well, and teams like the Colts who pass very well, so it is in part a matter of style and personnel.

Me, I think the league ought to tweak the rules to allow a reasonable amount of scoring, but also a reasonable balance between run and pass. I like to see a balanced game, not run all the time, or pass all the time. I think they have it more or less right. Perhaps they encourage passing a bit too much. Too many times you see teams just give up on the run. Opening the game up to more excitement by making life tough on defensive backs won't work if it also kills the running game, leading to pass, pass, pass, pass play calling. Opening the game up to more excitement by generating flag, flag, flag, flag, play after play isn't a big win either. A little more incidental contact wouldn't kill the game.

Law is coming across as whiny. I don't like whiny. Still, referees do play favorites. In the NBA, the stars don't get called as much. In the NFL, bad boys get extra attention. I wish it weren't so, but it happens.

But I do agree that there are a lot of flags flying this year. How much of it is early season sloppiness and how much is over zealous officiating, I don't know. Whichever, I hope the trend fades. There have been just too many penalties. With our old coordinators, the Patriots used to be a lightly penalized team. Has the coaching got worse, the players sloppier or the zebras nitpicky? Whatever it is, I don't like it, and it isn't just the Patriots. You see it in other games as well.
 
Garcia Bronco said:
I refer to it as the Peyton Manning rule

Bronco fans should refer to anything about the Colts as the

>40 Rule
 
#54 said:
Seems to me like the officials are calling more offensive PI so far this year than in the past. Either way they call it, offense or defense, quite a few of them are nit-picky calls that shouldn't be flagged in the first place.

The Colts probably complained about that as well.
 
imacoltfan said:
The Colts probably complained about that as well.
you are learning, you might just fit in around here Pal.

I am not sure if it was the Colts of the Rams who complained about that this time
 
Today NFL access should have the head of officiating on to answer some questions about this.

This year he has already admitted the mistakes of a few. But defended some too.

Flags on almost every play. Heck they are throwing flaggs even when there is no penalty. I have seen this twice.

"There was no foul on the play"
we just must meet our quota.
 
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