The NFL was serious when it said that referees would launch more tissues for illegal contact and pass interference this season.
Statistics released by the league on Friday reveal that through the first five weeks of the season, there have been nearly four times the punishment for illegal contact which took place during the first five weeks of 2013 and there have been more than double penalties for pass interference on the defensive. Penalties for illegal contact has increased from 15 last year to 59 between 1-5 Weeks this year. Penalties for pass interference on the defensive have increased from 52 last year to 115 this year from eek 1 to Week 5.
Overall, there have been a total of 163 more punishments this year than in the same period last season. Besides increasing penalties for illegal contact and pass interference, NFL referees have launched more than 14 scarves pass interference on offense, 48 more for the illegal use of hands and 7 more scarves for mocking or unsportsmanlike conduct.
Many fans believe that the referees have gone too far and that the games are being held back by the punishments that are marked, but the league says that in reality, the games lasted less this year. The average time of a game has dropped from 3:09:44 to 3:05:41 from last year.
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