Every year, a couple of NFL games are effectively won and lost by virtue of questionable pass interference calls that dramatically change field position. That doesn't have to happen. There is a straightforward solution to this problem:
There should be two grades of pass interference penalty, just like there have historically (until this coming season) been two grades of face-mask.
A non-stupid pass-interference regime would look like this: for borderline, "the defensive back was really just trying to make a play" calls, the punishment should be 15 yards and an automatic first down; spot-of-the-foul penalties (on passes longer than 15 yards) should be reserved for egregious, "he knew he was getting beat and took the receiver down" cases.
The point is not to broaden officials' range of discretion; it is rather to cabin that discretion, forcing back judges [?] to assign more precise designations among violations that currently go undifferentiated--but that are, normatively, dissimilarly deserving of harsh punishment.
Who's with me on this one?
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