NFL owners are getting set to vote on whether the tush push play will be banned, but there may be a workaround for the Philadelphia Eagles and other teams even if the rule passes.
The Green Bay Packers submitted a formal proposal earlier this month to ban the tush push, which has been made famous by Jalen Hurts and the Eagles. The language of the Packers’ proposal calls for implementing a rule that would “prohibit an offensive player from pushing a teammate who was lined up directly behind the snapper and receives the snap, immediately at the snap.” The play would result in a 10-yard penalty.
As ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler noted on “SportsCenter” Sunday, the language of the proposal allows for a potential loophole. Depending upon how the NFL chooses to define “immediately,” teams could snap the ball, wait a second, and then try to push the quarterback across the line.
“It’s hardly a slam dunk (that the ban will pass), but there are enough people around the league that would like to see it changed, even though there could be some wiggle room for the Eagles to still get this play off, because the proposal says immediately after the snap,” Fowler said, via Scott Polacek of Bleacher Report. “So, what if you wait a second after the snap and push? Also, the Eagles line is so good that I think they could get the play off without the push, so we’ll see. I think they’re going to still do it in some variation.”
In order for the new rule to be implemented, 24 of 32 team owners would have to vote in favor of it at the owners meetings in Palm Beach, Fla., this week. One report said there is momentum building toward the proposal passing.
Fowler said he spoke with one general manager who believes the ban will pass “under the guise of player safety,” though there has been no known data that shows the play carries a significant injury risk.
It sounds like the rule would be very difficult to officiate with the way the proposal is written. An official would have to determine that the quarterback was pushed by a teammate as soon as the snap touched the quarterback’s hands. If the ban passes, the language could be tweaked at some point in the future.
The Eagles used the tush push multiple times during their Super Bowl run last season. There was one sequence of plays during the NFC Championship Game where the Washington Commanders kept jumping offsides when they knew Jalen Hurts was about to run the tush push. The Eagles eventually scored, but many fans learned about a stunning NFL rule in the process.
The Buffalo Bills also frequently run the tush push with Josh Allen, so they will likely vote against the ban. That means the rule will effectively need 24 votes from 30 owners in order to pass.
