#18: The Ty Law Rule and Pass Interference Emphasis
Three of Peyton Manning’s passes ended up in Ty Law’s hands during the 2003 AFC Championship Game. That alone would have made Law central to New England’s 24-14 victory, but the aftermath became almost as important as the interceptions. Indianapolis complained about the amount of physical contact Patriots defensive backs were allowed to use against receivers downfield. The five-yard contact restriction itself was not new. What changed for 2004 was the emphasis: NFL officials were instructed to enforce existing illegal-contact, defensive-holding, and pass-interference standards much more strictly. Calling it the Ty Law Rule therefore requires one important qualification. The NFL did not invent a new five-yard rule for him; it tightened enforcement of one that defenses had increasingly stretched.
