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Proposal to ban tush push in NFL fails by two votes, sources say


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Even essentially the most highly effective figures within the NFL have been unable to cease the tush push.

A proposed ban of the tush push play that the Philadelphia Eagles have popularized didn’t obtain sufficient votes on the spring assembly Wednesday in Eagan, Minnesota.

Earlier than the vote, retired Philadelphia Eagles heart Jason Kelce and crew proprietor Jeffrey Lurie spoke to the homeowners to foyer for the deserves of retaining the play.

Sources informed ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the ultimate vote was 22-10 on the proposal, which was submitted by the Inexperienced Bay Packers. The proposal wanted 24 votes to go.

Among the many groups to assist the Eagles with their vote have been the Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, New York Jets and Detroit Lions, sources informed Schefter.

The Eagles celebrated the consequence, writing “Push On” overlayed on a picture of their crew lined up for the tush push towards the Packers in a publish to X on Wednesday. The Eagles and Packers will face one another in a “Monday Night time Soccer” recreation in Week 10 this season.

Kelce declined to touch upon the vote Wednesday, saying, “I am not right here to speak to the media.” Lurie stated he was “happy” with the results of the vote however didn’t have any additional remark.

In one other vote, NFL homeowners authorised a proposal to permit groups to declare an onside kick at any time throughout a recreation when they’re trailing. Gamers on the kicking crew additionally can be lined up with their entrance foot on the 35-yard line with the rule change, one yard nearer than beforehand.

Wednesday’s vote got here after the league tabled discussions on the unique proposal, submitted by the Inexperienced Bay Packers, final month on the NFL’s annual league assembly in Palm Seaside, Florida.

The unique proposal was written explicitly across the tush push play. Earlier than the proposal was tabled, the vote was break up 16-16 among the many 32 groups, sources informed ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler.

The Packers resubmitted the proposal earlier than the beginning of the spring assembly, revising the language to extra broadly ban pushing or pulling the ball service wherever on the sphere. Within the proposal’s up to date language, “offensive gamers can not help the runner besides by individually blocking opponents for him.” The Packers additionally eradicated “instantly on the snap” within the up to date language.

The tush push appeared in solely 0.28% of whole performs final 12 months, in line with ESPN Analysis, however the Eagles and Buffalo Payments ran the play extra typically than different groups. The 2 mixed to run 163 pushes previously three seasons, greater than the remainder of the NFL mixed, in line with ESPN Analysis.

Not solely did the Eagles and Payments run the play essentially the most typically, however they have been additionally essentially the most profitable. They scored a landing or achieved a primary down on 87% of their tush push makes an attempt, in line with ESPN Analysis, whereas the remainder of the league was profitable 71% of the time.

ESPN’s Brooke Pryor and Tim McManus contributed to this report.