A conversation starter on how to improve OL holding calls

[BruisedOrange]

Our defensive line finally got a holding call in their favor, but it wasn't nearly enough. Here's a quick sample [click to view enlarged] of the more egregious holds, where the OL had his arms wrapped totally around the rusher (and these weren't just momentary--they held those holds through the play. I finally stopped looking for them, there were so many.


I'm thinking part of the problem for referees is that they're usually seeing four dark arms, each wrapped in white tape, wrestling with each other. The task is comparable to basketball referees trying to call a game where both teams had identical uniforms.

The other problem seems to be that refs are focusing on hands getting outside the shoulder pads--so focused that they're missing arms wrapped around torsos and shoulders!

What if OL were required to wear their home color on their arms, either as long sleeves or a strip of tape down both sides of their arms (each lineman's choice)? Would that be enough to make the kind of holding above too obvious to ignore?

Of course, consideration would also have to be given to how sleeve or tape might benefit one side or the other in their constant wrestling match.

Critique away...

 

[vegasvolfan]

Our defensive line finally got a holding call in their favor, but it wasn't nearly enough. Here's a quick sample [click to view enlarged] of the more egregious holds, where the OL had his arms wrapped totally around the rusher (and these weren't just momentary--they held those holds through the play. I finally stopped looking for them, there were so many.

View attachment 689254
I'm thinking part of the problem for referees is that they're usually seeing four dark arms, each wrapped in white tape, wrestling with each other. The task is comparable to basketball referees trying to call a game where both teams had identical uniforms.

The other problem seems to be that refs are focusing on hands getting outside the shoulder pads--so focused that they're missing arms wrapped around torsos and shoulders!

What if OL were required to wear their home color on their arms, either as long sleeves or a strip of tape down both sides of their arms (each lineman's choice)? Would that be enough to make the kind of holding above too obvious to ignore?

Of course, consideration would also have to be given to how sleeve or tape might benefit one side or the other in their constant wrestling match.

Critique away...

Both teams held throughout the entire game. The straight up tackling of our DL to allow them an easy score for their last TD was more blatant than Gibson holding their WR and preventing them from catching an easy TD. So, I didn’t get too bent. I think the game was called mostly in our favor last night.

With the refs calling the game the way they did, it makes it hard to know just how much our line improved. I’d like to think they took a big leap. But you play one game where refs call those holds and another game where refs do not, and you play the same way—you are going to look much better with those who do not.

 

[MurphyVol]

I don't know how they're taught today, but back in the day you were taught to keep your palms wide open and jam them in the chest. I know some guys would occasionally make a fist and try to jam them under your shoulder pads in the arm pit area.

Not holding is easier said than done. When you're about to get beat your first instinct is to grab something.

 

[bigdaddy]

Coming into this game we have had 3 holding calls called on our opponents OL in 40 quarters of power 5 play. That’s intentional.