How to Stop the Tush Push

[Mikie2times]

2 minutes ago, Jerome007 said:

Why? They have the OLine to do it. Very few teams do it, or are successful with it. Stop them, that's all. But false starts need to be called though.

It's a bang bang play that is difficult to officiate. Hard to see the false start live. Hard to spot the ball. Impossible to determine if the player fumbles. I have no idea why people are going to such lengths to say this is positive for the game or should be in it. It's just not on multiple levels. So what are we going to have, false start instant replays? Now we have those on all plays? We can argue over how somebody scratching themselves should be a false start? End the lunacy please. 

[DabillsDaBillsDaBills]

Do what KC did to us last year. 

 

Line up a few inches Offside and see if the refs have the stones to call it 

[Jerome007]

1 minute ago, Mikie2times said:

Hard to see the false start live. Hard to spot the ball. Impossible to determine if the player fumbles. 

"Hard to see the false start live." Not really. No more than a QB sneak or any hurry up plays.

"Hard to spot the ball." Done with technology now

"Impossible to determine if the player fumbles." Yes but has it even been a issue yet?

Again, only the Eagles have made it a constant play. Stop'em, that's all.

[Mikie2times]

46 minutes ago, Jerome007 said:

"Hard to see the false start live." Not really. No more than a QB sneak or any hurry up plays.

"Hard to spot the ball." Done with technology now

"Impossible to determine if the player fumbles." Yes but has it even been a issue yet?

Again, only the Eagles have made it a constant play. Stop'em, that's all.

I would say the evidence shows pretty clearly that it is. Unless you think refs are just deciding to ignore it. All these SEE! False start! are being done in slow motion and still frame. Not live. 

[without a drought]

A false start on one of the guards that move before the snap would put an end to it, nobody is using it when they need at least six yards.

[Warriorspikes51]

Eagles running the play 4 times in a row is going to sway owners into banning the play in the offseason 

frankly I'm tired of seeing it since the Eagles are allowed to jump early 

59 minutes ago, DabillsDaBillsDaBills said:

Do what KC did to us last year. 

 

Line up a few inches Offside and see if the refs have the stones to call it 

 

don't remind me. WHAT A JOKE 

[warrior9]

4 hours ago, Mikie2times said:

Or take a spot on the practice squad and activate when you play teams that use it frequently. Lets not let thinking get in the way of words.  

You don't think you have to pay people on the practice squad? Let's not let thinking get in the way of words. 

 

So you want to take up a practice squad spot, for a guy that you'll use for 1 game a year(maybe) and 3 plays in that game(maybe). But then also take up an active roster spot for someone that game day for the same reason? Let's not let thinking get in the way of words. 

Edited Friday at 09:51 PM by warrior9

[Mikie2times]

4 hours ago, warrior9 said:

You don't think you have to pay people on the practice squad? Let's not let thinking get in the way of words. 

 

So you want to take up a practice squad spot, for a guy that you'll use for 1 game a year(maybe) and 3 plays in that game(maybe). But then also take up an active roster spot for someone that game day for the same reason? Let's not let thinking get in the way of words. 

If that type of strategy worked even 1/4th the time against a team that runs that play more than a couple times game, the leverage is so high the win shares they contribute will be more than the other 6 Bob Smiths on the practice squad combined that might see the field a couple times a year. 

[st pete gogolak]

Two words: sumo wrestler.

[Richard Noggin]

It's a rugby play, not a football play. It's a scrum/ruck hybrid through and through.

 

First instance I can remember of this play being allowed (against the rules) was the (Reggie) Bush Push back in 2005. Now Google is telling me the rule against this came off the NFL books that same year?! When did refs actually start allowing it on the field, though? And how many resulting infractions are being overlooked to allow this play to continue?

 

**Has me thinking (or maybe I'm just still thinking) about the chart shared in a separate thread showing the Bills with the most offensive holding penalties FOR and also their opponents having the least offensive holding penalties AGAINST...just exactly how it feels watching the games. A few vocal murmurs in the stands last Sunday about the refs "shaving"...with spots and with flags. Sorry, probably unrelated. 

[The Frankish Reich]

On 10/9/2025 at 9:46 PM, Mikie2times said:

I think teams should be looking at NT specialists for this play. Very large men. Sumo’s. These aren’t football players and they have no business on standard plays. But if you have the single objective of getting as low as you can and trying to not give ground I think those type of guys would be the hardest to push back. 

I love this.

Expand the game day roster to allow each team to carry a 400 lb sumo guy, and only a 400 lb sumo guy.

[Low Positive]

18 minutes ago, The Frankish Reich said:

I love this.

Expand the game day roster to allow each team to carry a 400 lb sumo guy, and only a 400 lb sumo guy.

A 43rd roster spot limited to participants of the new International Pathways Partnership with the Nihon Sumo Kyokai? I love it!

Edited 12 hours ago by Low Positive

[The Frankish Reich]

Are defensive players allowed to push each other? If not, why not? Seems that would equalize things.

[Utah John]

You make illegal motion one of the penalties that can be called using instant replay.  How many times have we seen a tush push where the replay shows the guards leaving early?  They have a camera looking right down the line on all the snaps, and if there's illegal procedure it shows right up.

[BuffaloBillyG]

I'm not going to get into the gripes of the penalties that should be called, or if it's a football play or not. The OP asks how to stop the play?

 

You stop it on first and second down. You don't let em get to the 3rd and inches. Understand that's easier said than done. But win the early downs and it's not an issue.

[nedboy7]

You bribe the ####### named Goodell and have it banned. 

[Pecker]

I’m watching the auburn Georgia game.  Auburn hurried up and tried the tush push at 1.  All offensive and defensive players lined up in the neutral zone.  Their helmets were overlapping.  The refs did not throw a flag, it was nuts! 
 

then Auburn qb fumbles quite literally right at the goal line.  It was so close it was impossible to say if he scored or not.  After a 5 min review they went with call on the field - fumble.

 

not even the announcers mentioned the neutral zone infraction on probably 18 players 

[Just Jack]

9 hours ago, The Frankish Reich said:

Are defensive players allowed to push each other? If not, why not? Seems that would equalize things.

 

So, if I can believe some guy on Reddit, defense can push their own players. But, as they pointed out, putting a lot of defensive players on the line to push back the offense, opens up the possibility that the QB, instead of trying to go forward, can step back and toss/pass the ball to some offensive player that no one noticed was off to the side. 

[steven50]

aiding the ball carrier used to be a penalty until 2005. I have no clue why they changed the rule.