For decades, NFL rules prohibited offensive players from directly aiding a runner in any way, whether it was pushing or pulling him. But in 2005 — six months before the Bush Push — the league clarified its stance. There would be no pulling of ball carriers by teammates, but pushing was too difficult to legislate.
So the push is where the grey area is. I guess we should just start pushing Taysom on every down and see how the league likes it.
Right, the Deuce pile-mover TD in the ‘06 divisional, for example. That was a giant cluster of bodies — how could an official tell how much of that was Deuce moving the pile vs. our guys in the back of the pile pushing it forward?