They got rid of that rule because it is hard to enforce. If there is a pileup of 4-5 offensive and 4-5 defensive guys surrounding the ball carrier, are the offensive guys pushing the ball carrier forward (illegal) or are they pushing the defensive guys backward (perfectly legal)?
Thanks for confirming that it was a rule at one time because the first time I saw the tush push I was dumbfounded.
I understand what you’re saying about there being a pile of guys and you can’t differentiate in that instance, but with the tush push, you may as well have two handprints on the guy’s butt to act as guides where to push. You would think they could find a way to separate the two but it’s also a play that generates a lot of interest and that usually wins the day.