What is Offensive PI?

[SmartCoach]

I was wondering what constitutes offensive pass interference?

I've seen several games this year were eligible receivers are blocking down field like its a run but then stop blocking (sometime pushing-off) and catching passes or start running a route to catch a pass.

The rules in article 9.a states "Either Team A or Team B legally may interfere with opponents behind the neutral zone."

I understand everyone is eligible and, in tight formations the linemen may block for a count or two the release for a pass.

I'm talking about linemen/receivers blocking safeties and corners 7+ yards down field and catching passes. Also seen linemen/receivers blocking safeties and corners downfield so their team mate gets open.

Just wondering, any clarification would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[ZeroRisk]

I'm talking about linemen/receivers blocking safeties and corners 7+ yards down field and catching passes. Also seen linemen/receivers blocking safeties and corners downfield so their team mate gets open.

Both of the things you describe qualify for Offensive Pass Interference.

Rule 7-3-8-b: Offensive pass interference is contact by a Team A [offensive] player beyond the neutral zone that interferes with a Team B [defensive] player during a legal forward pass play in which the forward pass cross the neutral zone.

If the pass is thrown beyond the NZ, in other words not caught in the backfield, OPI rules apply. Blocking downfield and then pushing off to go catch a pass is illegal. Blocking an opponent downfield to open up a lane for your teammate to catch a pass (pick play) is also illegal.

I will say that this is probably one of the harder calls to make in all of football, especially with a 4-man crew and an Ump Judge in the 6-man game. It's an evolving understanding and something that we're working to emphasize in mechanics.

 

[ZeroRisk]

I should add "why" it is difficult and often missed. One of the issues with OPI is timing. Offensive Pass Interference can occur any time during a legal forward pass play, starting with the snap. Most OPI happens long before the ball is released. So an official has to see the action, register that is is a potential foul, hold that in his mind, and then drop the flag if and when a forward pass is thrown beyond the neutral zone. Lot of factors in a delay call. Very much unlike DPI which is when the ball is in the air and the attention is easy to focus on the receiver and defender to whom the ball is traveling.

 

[Dr. O]

Add it to the list of things that officials don't call in Class 1A.

 

[SmartCoach]

Thanks for your replies and clarification. That is the way I read the rule but I don't see it called. I will agree that it is often missed do to limited number of refs and the timing.

Again thanks.

 

[dammitbobby]

Add it to the list of things that officials don't call in Class 1A.

Just out of curiosity, what else is on your list of things you don't get called in 1A?

 

[oldfolks]

Just out of curiosity, what else is on your list of things you don't get called in 1A?

Living in North East Texas, I watch a mixture of 6-man and 11-man and I hear screaming, from both, about the referees missing calls and making bad calls. It is pretty even from 6 to 11 man. I saw an obvious hold a couple of weeks ago that was plain as day that was not called. It was on the opposite side of the field and had nothing to do with the play. If every call like this was called, a game might be over by daylight. dammitbobby or someone pointed out a couple of years ago about always calling Safety violations, clipping, face mask, etc but not someone’s hands gathering a little jersey that has no influence on the play. It’s a hard job refereeing. Watch the pro, which I don’t.

 

[Dr. O]

If we make rules, why not enforce them?

 

[dammitbobby]

Because while every rule has logic, it would be asinine to enforce every rule, and some rules require subjective judgement, anyways. Holding, DPI/OPI, IDP, KCI, even targeting, all have a subjective component to them. If we didn't utilize discretion, we'd be there for days, and never get a play off successfully.

There's specific rules about the coaches box - requirements, size, etc., yet most (grass) six man fields aren't marked properly, according to the letter of the rule. Should officials suspend every game that is on a non-compliant field? Of course not.

 

[ZeroRisk]

If we make rules, why not enforce them?

It's important to note that there is more to the rulebook than the definitions of what is/isn't a foul. Most fans/coaches (and sadly some officials) don't continue to read and get the Officiating Standards included. In the 2025 NCAA rulebook, they begin on page FO-1, which is the 159th page of the PDF version. It's important to note this isn't something written by officials separately to decide how to interpret the book -- this is in the same book by the same authors as the rules. For holding, specifically, there are a lot of things to note, such as:

• If there is a potential offensive holding but the action occurs clearly away from the point of attack and has no (or could have no) effect on the play, offensive holding should not be called.

Some examples that get back to our discussion of OPI include:

1. Offensive pass interference for blocking downfield will not be called if
the passer is legally grounding the ball out of bounds, near or beyond the
sideline.
2. Offensive pass interference will not be called on a screen pass when the
ball is overthrown behind the line of scrimmage but subsequently lands
beyond the line of scrimmage and linemen are blocking downfield, unless
such blocking prevents a defensive player from catching the ball.
3. On a pick play, it is not offensive pass interference if the defensive player is
blocking the offensive player when the pick occurs and the offensive player
doesn’t make a separate action, or if the blocker’s entire body is clearly not
beyond the neutral zone.

 

[Dr. O]

I agree, but there are too many officials that never use their flags. It would really help if we had crews that just worked sixman games consistently.

 

[dammitbobby]

As long as you have coaches picking officials for championship games, and then those officials selected for championships don't have a strong sixman resume, no official in their right mind would agree to calling just sixman. Especially when chapters are selected who work a paltry number of six man games in the entire chapter.

Officials ref for the love of the game. But we work just as hard as the teams do to improve every year, and the prospect of working a championship game is a dream for virtually every official, and when it is consistently, or at least semi-consistently, awarded to those who aren't committed, or even have a lot of six man experience, it sours you a towards committing to only sixman.

There actually are a LOT of really good six man officials. You just never get to see them, especially in the playoffs and championships.