The NCAA's football rules committee has proposed a change that could diminish the pop pass, the newer breed of option plays that include play action. The concept's become more and more popular in college football, even making appearances in the NFL.
The current rule allows offensive linemen to advance 3 yards beyond the line of scrimmage on passing plays. The proposed change would limit that to one yard, like the pros.
Combining run-blocking schemes with forward passes is not a strategy teams are going to give up. It's a continuation of play-action and option football, married into a single concept. Evolving the sport to feature exciting playmaking and faster tempo is good for the game, especially when it comes to appealing to millennials.
The suspicion amongst offensive coaches seems to be that the defensive guys are appealing to the rules committee to deliver them from a concept they've struggled to stop. Much like when Bret Bielema and Nick Saban appealed to stop up-tempo offenses in the name of player safety, this rule is said to be in the interest of making the illegal man downfield rule easier to enforce.
Sure it is.
While some teams got away with blocking more than 3 yards downfield, one would think adding an eighth official and emphasizing the existing rule would be enough. Instead, it's hard to come away with any impression other than that defensive factions aim to end pop plays such as this one...
