Serious question about NFL holding calls..

[Brian37]

In the Skins/Packers game today, I cant remember that amount of jersey grabbing with or without a flag thrown in a prior game.

I don't get it. How is it part of the rules when you are not a ball holder or a guy going after a ball holder. 

I know players always try to get away with breaking the rules and act and fake sure, but how is grabbing a jersey of a non ball holder/ runner acceptable?

I am not taking about the Redskins winning. I am talking about the flags thrown during the game AND the flags not thrown during the game.

[Minimalist]

Football has so many rules that there literally has to be an infraction somewhere on every play.  It's one of the reasons I gave up on it and I understand it has just gotten worse in recent years.

[Angrboda]

I didn't see the game, so it would be hard to comment.

[Aegon]

Honestly, what's bothersome to me is how many personal fouls defensive men are getting for sacking the QB. It's now considered roughing the passer if they think your bodyweight falls on top of the QB...

[Angrboda]

Worst rule change ever.

[AFTT47]

Worst rule change ever.

Probably has something to do with the recent discovery that football players are suffering major brain injuries.

I'm frankly amazed at the expectation of "business as usual" in the face of that. There are going to have to be major changes to the sport if it is to survive.

[Aegon]

If you want to eliminate chances of major brain injuries, then ban football. There's common sense regulation but it's a violent sport. That's the nature of it. Theres only so much you can regulate before it's not recognizable

As long as the public and the players are aware of it and know the risks of their career choice, they shouldn't be getting too ridiculous with the fouls.

[Joods]

A Broncos player got ejected from the Broncos/Ravens game today for throwing a few punches. I'm sure there will be a fine in his future.

[Minimalist]

Worst rule change ever.

Probably has something to do with the recent discovery that football players are suffering major brain injuries.

I'm frankly amazed at the expectation of "business as usual" in the face of that. There are going to have to be major changes to the sport if it is to survive.

You can't take a game which is based on violence and make it non-violent.  The fans want to see big hits.  But it is not the big hits that cause CTE.  It is the accumulation of smaller hits or "sub-concussive hits" as the doctors call them which causes the damage.  I am a hockey fan and in the 90's I coached my son's freshman team.  Like every other coach I was telling my boys to "finish your checks."  What that means is that if a guy is coming down on you and passes the puck, the defender needs to step into him and bump him to prevent him from getting a return pass and going in 2 on 1 on the goalie.  I would never say that now.  The hitter gets just as much impact as the hittee. 

I belong to a hockey board and a lot of the old timers complain that there is no snarl in hockey anymore.  They're right.  The league has taken steps to cut down on that sort of stuff and the more noticeable fighting.  And the game has gotten more boring because without the body checking it is little more than figure skating with a puck.  But the NHL has been sued by its players too and like football, which had to settle the case or get their heads handed to them, they have to pretend that they are addressing the issue.

[Ravenshire]

Worst rule change ever.

Not even top three. "In the grasp," "the process of the catch" and the horrible, horrible "crowd noise" rules were far worse