Hey, I was really excited to watch the marvin harrison nfl game last weekend.. As I sat on my favorite couch, what should happen? A flag came out for what are the requirements to be a nfl football player defensive holding, and I couldn’t believe it! It’s not the first time I’ve seen it in an NFL game, and it’s certainly not gonna be the last!
My heart sank as the referee announced the penalty. Defensive holding certainly isn’t a rare call, but you don’t typically hear it with regularity. It’s one of those rules that’s rarely enforced, but teams still have to abide by them. To be honest, it was still a poor decision by the defensive team.
Defensive holding is a pretty complicated rule to explain. To put it simply, it means that the defensive team is not allowed to grab, hold, or interfere with the receiver while the ball is in the air. Any contact that impedes the receiver’s ability to make a catch will get them flagged. It’s a pretty harsh penalty, because it usually results in around 10 yards or more.
I’m sure the coaching staff was steaming after that call. It’s a high-risk, low reward kind of play, so I understand why they were unhappy. I’m sure this isn’t the first time a team has been caught with defensive holding, but it’s definitely the most obvious. The team should have known better.
While the defensive team will always be at a disadvantage when it comes to defensive holding, I have to say it’s a necessary evil. Without it, there would be defensive backs grabbing and holding receivers all over the field. That would take away from the integrity of the game. So, while it’s an annoying penalty, it does serve a purpose.
Honestly, not a lot of people know the details of defensive holding. Even the announcers were a bit confused after the call: “What’s defensive holding..?” They had to take a few seconds to explain it before the game continued. Even then, I’m sure it didn’t do the rule justice.
I think defensive holding plays a major role in the NFL game. It’s there to keep things in check and make sure teams aren’t getting away with too much. Obviously, players can still get away with a few grabs and touches here and there, but defensive holding is still enforced. Ultimately, I think it’s important because it stops the game from becoming too chaotic.
At the end of the day, it’s up to the defensive team to play within the rules. They have to be careful of the sidelines and that they don’t come in contact with the receivers too often. Defensive holding is an important part of the game, and a team has to be aware of it to succeed.