I just saw a video on this and they stated that the read option is pretty much going to be a penalty this year. What I mean by that is you can't hand the ball off in front of you. Most of the time you will have the wr coming across with them being an option for a handoff but as of July 8th that will now be a penalty.  Here is what I found with a quick google search.

"Read-option handoffs
For any handoff on a read-option play, the quarterback must hand the ball to a runner either parallel to him or behind him. Anything in front of the quarterback will be classified as an illegal forward pass and penalized 5 yards. Jul 8, 2023"

So how many times when they do the option the RB is normally already in front of the QB when he decides to either pull it away or let the runner keep it. I wonder how many times this will be called and how many games will it affect. Baltimore went from a playoff contender to now having to change their whole offensive philosophy. Running QBs will now have to become passers such as Lamar, Justin Fields and Jalen Hurts.  And I wonder what it will do to the GB offense as you know they must have the read option with Love .

Thoughts?

 

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I found this nugget "For any handoff on a read-option play, the quarterback must hand the ball to a runner either parallel to him or behind him. Anything in front of the quarterback will be classified as an illegal forward pass and penalized 5 yards." so it sounds like there won't be anymore QB/RB tandem running forward and the QB deciding to give him the ball or take him himself?

If this is true. I am not sure this changes a lot bunch with read option.

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My thought is that this rule makes no damn sense and how the refs are told to interpreted the rule could make a huge difference.

1) Why can't you hand the ball off, from one player to the other as long as possession is not lost, anywhere on the field?

But almong the general and traditional rules, this rule makes no sense. Looks like the rule was proposed by the Competition Committee. 

The entire AFC North has a guy in the committee and they have to stop the Ravens, and with the exception of the Eagles all the NFC East teams are in it and they have to stop the Eagles. Also the Colts (with head coach from the Eagles) is thought to do it as well, and you got one from the AFC South and the FORMER Colt head coach in this list too. 

To me, that's how this rule makes the most sense, the Competition Committees want to help their defenses, and for once a rule that helps the defense is nice, but the rule doesn't fit. Also the competition committee would in theory need an argument for this, like Safety reasons, or something, I'd like to hear what their argument for this was.



2) All depends on how the Refs are told to interprete this new rule. As I interprete the rule: This eliminates a forward handoff, but not the QB taking the ball back from the RB... so they can still run QB pass or QB run plays out of the read option, just if they hand it off, the hand off must be completed before the RB is clearly in front of the QB.

So this likely eliminates the traditional East/West Read Options where the QB is looking forward, up the field and allowed.to read the entire field, but the North/South read option where the QB is turned to one side or another, but can only see/read half the field with the RB to their side is still in play.


3) The biggest change I see is elimination of the traditional east-west read option, AND for the traditional jet sweep hand off plays.

But their is an easy solution, and we've already seen it on the jet sweep, where to make sure the QB is out of the way and doesn't snap the jet sweeper, they changed it from a handoff to a 12 inch pass play.

So gone are some of the traditional handoffs (which seems to make no sense to get rid of) and to replace them is short tosses instead. So instead of read option, you'll get read short toss options.

 

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Stupid rule that I think on net favors the Packers, so therefore I'm for it. 😆 

Might as well call it the Anti-Eagles, Colts and Ravens rule.

I think it helps defenses. But again, just make it a short toss instead of a hand off... I don't think it's going to change too much, that being said more ruining of the running game and their stats and helping of the passing game and their stats.

Maybe help against the Bears if they did this.

I'd still like to hear their reasoning for thinking to have the need to include this rule. Because I don't see how it helps Safety that much, nor competition, unless you are just trying to help defenses (which normally they do the opposite), and there is supposed to be a greater reason than that.

 

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A short toss takes longer than a hidden handoff. And a toss has a higher probability of being dropped/fumbled. We see the option toss a lot though so while it might increase the probability of fumbles or what not, I really don't see it altering the game except maybe a play or two a week -- if that.

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Well, it all depends on how its interpreted because when they do the read option 75% the time the qb and rb both have the ball as the rb passes the qb. So If he finally lets go and after that will it be a penalty or because the handoff started when they were parallel will it be ok. As far as the little flip to the Jet sweep guy that would be a pass and if he drops it then its just incomplete and not a fumble.  I think this was all to defend against the major running teams as I have stated.

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