The head of NFL officiating is vowing to make sure coaches stop coming on the field during play according to NBC Sports. Dean Blandino is citing Jim Harbaugh’s scamper on to the field against the Panthers in the divisional playoff game last week.
“We’ve got to make sure that coaches can’t come on the field after the play, during the play like this to get the attention of an official,” Blandino said. “They’ve got to stay on the sideline. So we penalized him 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct.”
“An unsportsmanlike conduct foul like this, even if the coach is flagged during the play, for being on the field during the play, that foul is enforced as a dead-ball foul,” Blandino said. “So unless he actually interfered with the play — you could potentially have a palpably unfair act, the referee could award a score, take away a score, do whatever he feels equitable — but if that foul is just a normal unsportsmanlike conduct for being on the field, and he didn’t interfere with the play, that foul is always enforced as a dead-ball foul. Whatever happened on the play counts, and then the 15-yard penalty is enforced afterward.”
Flagging coaches for being on the field was never really enforces prior to Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. Tomlin being fined and the Steelers losing a draft pick. The response is a zero tolerance policy in order to ensure there is no game interference because of coaches being on the field.