During the 2025 offseason, efforts to ban the Tush Push proved to be highly controversial and ultimately unsuccessful. A vote on the matter in May produced a 22-10 result. 
Rule changes require the support of 24 teams at a minimum, so for at least the 2025 campaign the play is still legal. Of course, given the nature of the opposition to the Tush Push, it would come as no surprise if a new campaign aimed at eliminating it were to take place after the season. At this point, however, it is not certain if that will be the case.
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required), momentum for banning the play is currently “stronger than ever.” She adds a contingent within the NFL’s league office remains opposed to the Tush Push; that group would presumably still include commissioner Roger Goodell, who was known to favor a ban last year. Philadelphia’s Week 2 win over Kansas City fueled a fresh wave of discussions about the play being outlawed in 2026.
During the league’s standard training tape for officials ahead of this week’s action, the NFL stated at least one of the Eagles’ Tush Push touchdowns against the Chiefs should have been flagged for a false start. As Mark Maske of the Washington Post notes, the league has instructed referees to tighten their officiating on the play moving forward. Regardless of what happens on that front through the remainder of the campaign, the Tush Push will no doubt remain a talking point.
In spite of that, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports there are currently “no assurances” another vote regarding a ban will be brought up this offseason. An important factor, as Schefter observes, is the fact a different author of any new proposal for a ban will be needed. Mark Murphy and the Packers led the charge last offseason, but in accordance with team policy he retired as CEO during the summer. Ed Policy now holds that position. He or the executive of another team will need to serve as the focal point of any renewed efforts made at a ban this coming offseason.
Initial talks on the Tush Push produced strong opinions on both sides, and an informal poll of teams resulted in a 16-16 split. Opinions clearly shifted after Green Bay’s proposal was tweaked to address a broader range of plays in which the ballcarrier is pushed, with an increase in support emerging for a ban. Over the coming months, it will be interesting to see if any of the 10 teams which voted to keep the play alive change their stance, something which would be critical in determining the Tush Push’s future.
No need to ban it, just enforce the rules. False Start is mentioned here, but the offense also typically lines up in the neutral zone. The center will get much further over the ball than usual.
Call those when they happen and the play goes away on its own.
It’s an unfair play that even in a league that historically rips off each other’s plays and schemes, only 1 team and 1 QB are capable of performing it successfully…
Exactly, even the Bills failed multiple times in the playoffs with big A$$ Josh Allen trying it.
It’s unfair because it can’t be stopped?
it’s unfair because refs are allergic to properly officiating the play.
By that stance every offensive snap in the NFL is unfair, almost every OT jumps early on every snap and the line integrity is ridiculous as lineman are behind wideouts that are supposedly on the line. It’s all a mess.
Goodell: “Well we certainly can’t have a league that permits pushing…flag football is the future”.
Philly didn’t need the Brotherly Shove to win today. Rams lined up for a game-winning FG, Eagles blocked it and returned it the other way for a TD as time expired.
New rule no big DTs can line up in the middle to block a kick.
But only the really athletic ones. If your vertical jump is over a certain limit or your 40 time under a certain time you must play 3” behind the ball and not inside the offensive tackles.
Actually there are 2 rules involved, (1) can’t line up directly opposite the long snapper, (2) can’t put your hand on an offensive lineman to gain leverage. That 2nd rule is why Indianapolis got a second-chance FG to defeat Denver.
It’s boring and hard to watch but until more teams start doing it, I don’t see how you ban it. Banning it right now would just seem punitive against the Eagles. Start calling false starts and neutral zone infractions and it’ll probably start getting used less.
I don’t like it either, and I think it makes for boring football. However, is it really fair to punish a team for coming up with an unbeatable play? In response to that, we do have plenty of plays or behaviors that rules were enacted to combat. The Holy Roller rule comes to mind.
I’m with you, rct. If you’re punishing the Eagles for inventing a play, it looks bad. If you’re more broadly outlawing a behavior, it’s easier and more fair to understand. Behaviors are more understandable for regulation than individual plays are. I think that’s the distinction.
At the end of the day the NFL and every major sports league is only as valuable as its entertainment value is. The MLB took defensive shifting out why because it hindered the entertainment value of the game. Eliminating the suspense on short yardage high leverage situations is bad for entertainment value.
That is not the same…every team in MLB was shifting. Only the Eagles do the push correctly. Most other teams suck or too scared to look like hypocrites to do it.
You are missing my point. The point is a play or rule or any aspect of the game hurts the entertainment value that rule/ play will be changed in short order. There is a reason QBs are protected like they are because bad QB loses viewers. There is a reason baseball took away the shift nobody wants to watch Bryce Harper smoke a line drive that is caught by the second baseman in short right field. There is a reason hockey made goaltender pads smaller. It’s all about the entertainment value not about who can or can’t do it.
The shift is also a dumb rule change. If you want to put 7 fielders at second base and make the opponent beat you to the other side of the field then let them. If you want to burn through 6 relievers in an inning with one in one matchups let them instead of requiring they face so many batters. These rules changes are ruining sports.
All the media whining is very annoying. I barely bother listening to the pre game talk but it seems non stop. You know maybe the defense should try to stop them from getting 9 yards, just my thoughts.
I’d be happier with eliminating automatic first downs and with making pass interference fifteen yards instead of a spot foul. That should give the defense one leverage at least.
Yeah the defensive 5 yard penalties being automatic first are weird.
Another one is the illegal formation on offense should just kill the play like falls start. If they care about player safety that play creates a hit on a non existence play.
Five backup quarterbacks started this week. NFL isn’t doing enough currently to protect the quarterback position. Numerous changes are needed to rectify quarterback safety…
Burrows injury was on him holding ball too long.
Hayden Daniel’s has been taking the most hits since his college days.
Purdy, JJ, Fields are also on them. Get ball out faster don’t try to fight off guys weighing 100+lbs
I wish people would stop looking at this play in a microscope. 1. theres someone moving a little early on half of NFL snaps if you look in super slow mow. They’ve always had leniency on this in terms of someone being .15 seconds early, and always will. 2. people clearly don’t understand the neutral zone rule at all. The center can be almost completely over the ball as long as they are not over the front tip. Everyone else needs to be 5.5 inches back of the front tip of the ball. watch replays and the ENTIRE defensive line is in the neutral zone every time this is run. If we are to jump offsides when the defense is in the neutral zone, it’s encroachment on the defense. Actually allowing this play to run is giving the defense a chance because all of these false starts are actually a defensive penalty. Everyone needs to stop crying about one team being better at it. Just copy it for crying out loud. if everyone gets good at it then it should be banned, but punishing one team is ludicrous