Report: Competition Committee 'Not in Favor of Change' to Defensive PI Penalty

There is reportedly unlikely to be a change to the defensive pass interference rule in the NFL for the 2018 season.

According to NFL.com's Judy Battista, the NFL Competition Committee is not expected to recommend a new rule to owners at next week's annual league meetings.

Defensive pass interference is currently a spot foul, but there had been some discussion about making it a 15-yard penalty like in college football.

There are logical arguments to be made both in favor and opposition of a change to the pass interference penalty.

In one respect, pass interference is a judgment call, and the fact that it's a spot foul means defenses can be penalized in a massive way if an official makes a bad call.

On the other hand, 15 yards isn't necessarily a fitting punishment if a defensive back clearly breaks the rules to prevent a chunk play or touchdown.

NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent said on Wednesday that there was some support for a change to defensive pass interference, per ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert: "It has some momentum. That has some momentum. We had good discussion in the room. It will be interesting when we get with the coaches. ... I don't want to get ahead of it, but I can tell you this: It had momentum in the room among the competition committee."

Although that momentum reportedly won't lead to a rule change, there is a significant alteration on the horizon when it comes to catch rulings.

Vincent told Mark Maske of the Washington Post on Tuesday that the NFL Competition Committee was finalizing a proposal for the owners.

He added that "slight movement" of the ball and the bar jarring loose when hitting the ground after already establishing possession will no longer lead to no-catch rulings if the new rule is adopted.