Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs lost their second game of the 2025 season, 20-17, against the Eagles. In that matchup, Philadelphia sparked a lot of controversy by using the famous Tush Push play, as in several television angles, their linemen appeared to be moving before the snap.
Now, according to an ESPN report, the NFL has made a key decision to prevent this from happening again. “The NFL said the Philadelphia Eagles should have been flagged for at least one false start when they used the Tush Push against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday and instructed officials this week to call the controversial play ‘tight’ going forward. The message from the league, which was first reported by The Washington Post and later confirmed by ESPN, came in its training tape to officials, which was distributed to all 32 teams Wednesday.”
Nick Sirianni and the Eagles have had the Tush Push as one of their go-to plays, and we can’t forget that it was huge last season in helping them win the Super Bowl. A few months ago, the owners voted to ban the play, but they didn’t reach the required number, so Philadelphia continues to take advantage of this edge.
What is the Tush Push play?
The Tush Push is a short-yardage offensive play designed to gain just a few crucial inches. It often is called by coaches on third or fourth down, especially near the goal line to guarantee touchdowns. In this play, the quarterback lines up behind the center and, after taking the snap, leans forward to run through the defensive line. There are certain similarities with a rugby scrum.
One or more offensive linemen or teammates push the quarterback from behind, giving him extra momentum to cross the line of scrimmage. This makes it very difficult for defenders to stop the play, especially in tight, short-yardage situations. It has raised concerns around the league regarding player safety.
Is the Tush Push play banned in the NFL?
No. The Tush Push play has not been banned by the NFL, although recent incidents involving constant offsides, as well as safety concerns, could lead to it being its last year as a legal play. Ramon George, NFL vice president of officiating training and development, talked about the situation in an interview with The Washington Post.
“Anytime we have this situation in which we’re in short yardage, we know we want to make sure that we officiate these plays. The offensive team has to be perfect in every aspect. We want to officiate it tight. We want to be black and white and be as tight as we can be when we get into this situation where teams are in the bunch position and we have to officiate them being onsides, movement early. Prior to the snap, looks like we have movement by the right guard. We also have movement coming across from the defensive side. This is a very hard play to officiate. I get it.”