After a game-deciding scene in the Monday Night Game between the Raiders and the Packers, a discussion is taking place in the USA. Is the NFL changing a rule?

In the end, it may have been the scene in the Monday Night Game between the Green Bay Packers and the Las Vegas Raiders that made the difference.

Third quarter, score 10-10, Packers receiver Christian Watson eludes his opponents after a long ball from Jordan Love and runs for a sure touchdown.

Raiders defender Marcus Peters can’t really get to it. He can only reach into the shoulder pad and pulls Watson down at the six-yard line!

Clear foul! Actually a 15-yard penalty. But because of the proximity to the end zone in this case only “Half the Distance to the Goalline” – so half the distance to the end zone. Thus just three yards.

Jordan Love rolls out and finds a wide open Christian Watson for 77 yards!

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– NFL (@NFL) October 10, 2023

But the bitter part is that the Packers fail to score a touchdown! The field goal brings in three points. In the end, however, the franchise loses by exactly the four-point difference that the touchdown (plus extra point) would have brought in.

This is now causing a discussion in the USA about the existing NFL rules. Should a sure touchdown that was prevented by an unfair foul still count?

Rulebook not clear enough

The official NFL rulebook states, “A touchdown is scored when: the referee awards a touchdown to a team that was denied it by a patently unfair act.”

Admittedly: A very woolly rule wording. What exactly is meant by “a palpably unfair act”? In the case of field goals, on the other hand, the rulebook is more specific.

It says: “Goaltending by a defender who jumps up to block a shot that goes over the crossbar of a goal post. The referee may award three points for an obviously unfair act. “

Team owners would have to decide

So why is the rule so opaque on an unfairly prevented touchdown? Possibly because there are so few precedents. Now, with the action from the Monday Night Game, at least another one has been created.

On its own homepage, “NBC Sports” is now demanding that those responsible adjust the rule. However, this can only be implemented at the annual meeting of the team owners.

Possible rule changes are proposed and discussed there before the season. Should a proposed rule change come to a vote, at least three quarters of the team owners would have to vote in favour of it.