The NFL will be reviewing the tuck rule this offseason, according to Dean Blandino, the league director of officiating.
NFL rule changes: Tuck rule to be reviewed in the offseason
The NFL Competition Committee will be reviewing the controversial tuck rule, which once again came under question in the final week of the regular season.
Jonathan Daniel
Blandino and the NFL announced on Friday via video that the league would be looking to revamp the rule, which came into prominence when a Tom Brady fumble was overturned to an incomplete pass in a 2002 playoff game against the Oakland Raiders. The Patriots would go on to win the first of its three Super Bowls.
The rule was once again called into question in the final week of the NFL regular season in a game between the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts. Quarterback Andew Luck of the Colts appeared to have fumbled the ball when sacked, and was ruled a fumble on the field. The referee overturned the call based on the tuck rule, however, giving the ball back to the Colts.
“It was ruled on the field a fumble and the key here is the tuck rule,” Blandino said. “The rule is, if the quarterback brings his arm up to throw in an obvious passing motion, any intentional forward movement of the hand with control of the football will constitute a forward pass. That’s the rule.”
For many, it was not clear that Luck was bringing his hand forward to pass and once against the subjectivity of the rule was called into question. Blandino stated that the tuck rule will be part of a larger discussion in the offseason related to quarterback passing and fumbles.
The Texans lost to the Colts, 28-16, and will face the the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Wild Card round. The Colts will play the Baltimore Ravens in the other AFC Wild Card game.
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