When spectating Super Bowl LVII, you may have noticed an odd play where all the players end up in a pile. While uncommon, the Eagles were able to implement the technique in this game and throughout their season.

The play is called the quarterback sneak push and it uses the force of the whole team to gain ground. A front row of offensive players line up, shoulders close together. When the quarterback receives the ball, the team pushes forward as a unit. The player’s shoulders are meant to catch the opposition, while their legs propel the team down the field.

The play has been likened to a rugby scrum, where players physically interlock arms and similarly push back the other team. At obtaining a few yards, this play can be extremely effective and very difficult to counter. But why do people think it should be banned?

Their build-up to the big game has come with many uses of this play. Of the 2022-2023 season, the Eagles successfully, “gained 31 first downs on quarterback sneaks,” according to the NFL.

While this number alone does not mean much, in comparison, no other offense has been able to clear 20 first downs with quarterback sneaks in a single season throughout the past 15 years.

Their success with the play has made spectators question if it should be legal. In fact, this play has not always been allowed.

For a long time, there was a ban on pushing the ball carrier in the NFL. Although, USA today said that in 2005, “the NFL lifted the ban on pushing the ball carrier.”

The rule has seen little success until the Philadelphia Eagles – where they have taken the play and ran with it.

Debate is wide on whether the play should be banned. Dean Blandino, Fox Sports rules analyst, believes that, “the league is going to look at this. [He would] be shocked if they don’t make a change.”

Fear that it may be used in future seasons drives this discussion. Blandino was talking to the Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton about the play, and he said that they would, “do this every time next season if they don’t take it out.”

Blandino also claims that the play does not properly showcase the skill of NFL players, and that it is not “aesthetically pleasing.”

Arguments against banning the play circulate as well. A video-essay by Lionheart Sports Media makes an excellent point that, “we’ve never floated around the idea of banning any other play that’s worked.”

The speaker then gives examples of other teams that have successful plays like, asking if we should ban, “the 49ers from running inside zone because it works so well whenever they do it?” Or, he hypothetically questions if we should ban, “the Bengals from playing drop eight coverage.”

These teams have unique and special skillsets that when facing them, your team just needs to know how to defend against it. Creating defenses specific to these plays and understanding when to enact them is the best way to overcome any and all plays in football.

Conversation of the potential ban will continue over the months ahead as we prepare for the next NFL season. Football is a sport that is constantly evolving and adapting to new circumstances. The 2005 rule may be reinstated, or we may see a novel, circumstantial rule put in place, or no rule at all. Until then, all we can do is speculate and enjoy the game of football.