The Packers have officially submitted their revised rule change to ban the tush push, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. It includes expanded language that is expected to garner more support around the league after their initial proposal was tabled last month.
If approved, Rule 12, Section 1, Article 4 of the NFL rulebook would be amended to ban all instances of pushing or pulling of ballcarriers with a 10-yard penalty for any infractions. Green Bay’s new proposal reflects a return to pre-2005 rules, consistent with messaging coming out of the last league meetings where the original rule change was tabled.
Currently, offensive players are prohibited from pulling ballcarriers “in any direction at any time.” The new rule also bans pushing and lifting runners to their feet, along with a more general restriction against assisting them “except by individually blocking opponents for him.”
The revised language is far broader than the Packers’ original proposal, which specified timing (“immediately at the snap”) and position of the ballcarrier (“lined up directly behind the snapper and received the snap.”) Those changes are meant to assuage concerns that the rule specifically targets teams that use the tush push more often than others, namely the Bills and the Eagles.
However, the newer, more general language is open to criticism for being vague and leaving enforcement up to individual referees on a game-by-game basis. The league will have to devise a consistent way to officiate offensive players trying to move the pile after a ballcarrier’s initial momentum has been stopped. Moving the pile is a common practice in the NFL, but the wording of the revised proposal would appear to ban such an action. It’s also unclear if supporting a teammate to keep them upright falls under the umbrella of pushing or lifting a runner.
The Packers’ proposal retains language that prevents players from pushing or throwing their bodies “against a teammate to aid him in an attempt to obstruct an opponent or to recover a loose ball.” Reported versions of the new language differ on whether or not interlocking interference is still banned. Interlocking interference is a rarely called penalty for a blocker “grasping a teammate or…using his hands or arms to encircle the body of a teammate in an effort to block an opponent.” (Essentially, offensive players may not form a protective cordon around ballcarriers that prevents defenders from attempting tackles.)
Teams were split on the Packers’ first attempt to ban the tush push, but the revision has a legitimate chance to reach the 24 votes required to pass. The Eagles remain staunch opponents, having made a last-ditch effort to find votes against a ban, but concerns over player safety have persisted despite a lack of injuries stemming from the play in recent years. Teams are also concerned about the potential impact on pace of play after the Commanders committed repeated penalties while trying to stop the tush push in the playoffs, which slowed the game to a crawl.
With an official revision submitted, the league will likely take a full vote on the measure this week in Minneapolis.
The competition committee is also considering a proposal to change the onside kick, according to Pelissero. The NFL’s new kickoff implemented last year only allowed teams to try an onside kick when trailing in the fourth quarter. Teams will still be required to declare onside kicks under the new rule, but they may do so anytime. They will also be permitted to line up one yard closer to their opponents in an effort to improve onside kick success rates from six percent in 2024.