Each season, the owners of the League meet to discuss the new rules to be implemented for next season. Among the proposals, the Green Bay Packers proposed to ban the “Tash Push”, an action which has become famous in particular by its use by the Philadelphia Eagles.
This action is a classic quarterback race (QB Sneak), to which are added two players who push the quarterback from the rear, in a technique that reminds a little rugby.
If the judgment of the merits of this request is personal, we will expose below the various arguments and statistics that surround this game, which will allow you to make an opinion. The goal is not to decide here, but to give the keys to analysis.
The “tash push”, really more efficient than the QB Sneak?
If you are a certain age, you know that the debate surrounding the “QB Sneak” and its variations is not new. During the Patriots dynasty, there were debates concerning the “QB Sneak” of Tom Brady, then considered impossible to stop.
In 2024, the Eagles attempted 48 actions “Tash Push”, for a success of 81.25% (39/48). The other team that massively uses this action is the Buffalo Bills, which have a success rate of 78.4% (29/37). For the anecdote, the Browns (91.7%), the cowboys (90%) and… Packers (100%) have a better success rate. But the number of attempts not exceeding 11, it is difficult to draw a conclusion as the sample is small. (Source CBS Sport)
If the comparison in 2024 is not yet available, in 2023 the Nextgenstats site had compared the success rate of Eagles compared to other teams, which for the most part use a traditional QB Sneak. Eagles had a success rate of 84.4% against 79.3% for other teams. There is therefore a difference of 5.1%. Basically, the “tash push” is more effective. (Source: Heed the Call, episode of February 26, 2025)
Is it due to better execution of Eagles or an easier game? Five % is a significant advantage? It's up to you to judge.
Is the “tash push” dangerous for the players?
Given the physical intensity required by a push tash, and the frontal shock it represents, it is natural to wonder if this game is not dangerous for the health of the players.
According to an official NFL report, there was no injury in a situation of Tash Push this season. This is good news, even if the sample being very small it is impossible to draw a final conclusion. What can be said is that there is no evidence that allows us to say that this game is more dangerous. It would take a much larger sample to make it a generality.
Is the “tash push” legal?
There are many Internet users who call into question the legality of “tash push”, explaining in particular that line players are offside. You should know, we will develop it later, that packers do not question the legality of the game, other arguments are put forward.
Today there is no analysis showing a systematic irregularity of this game. If this were the case, the teams would have raised it earlier. There are obviously actions containing an “offsidal” not reported, but the problem of arbitration is a larger debate which does not only concern this action. Errors can be made on each action.
The arbitration committee, the NFL and the franchises do not dispute the legality of the game. It therefore seems quite clear that this is not the problem here. Besides, packers offer to “make it illegal”, which implies current legality.
Is the “tash push” in the spirit of the game / Is it pretty?
Here is the most subjective argument. What is beauty? You have 4 hours. However, the argument has the merit of existing, even if it is only for the spectator, not the actor.
The NFL like all sports is a show, and the spectator is looking for the spectacular. Is the TUSH PUSH a brake on the spectacle that represents football represents? Is it a football “waste”? Alone, you have the answer, and the good news is that you cannot be wrong. The personal feeling cannot be discussed, and it is specific to everyone.
Do you need talent to make the “tash push”?
We now arrive at the main argument of the Green Bay Packers. Its president expressed his feelings, according to the following argument:
No skill is necessary and it is almost automatic.
If we have also seen that the tash push represents a more effective action than the average, we have also seen that it is not “automatic”, since the success of the Eagles is 84.4%.
On the argument which consists in saying that no competence is necessary, one can ask the following question: in this case, why the 32 teams in NFL do not perform this same action? If this does not require any talent everyone should be able to do so. The NFL teams are there to win, if they can use such a lethal action, they would.
Nick Sirianni also reacted to this argument:
We really work, really hard. I almost feel a little insulted because we work so hard on this game. The quantity of things we have examined on how to train this game, the fundamental principles. […] I cannot tell you how many times we have practiced the snap. We practice this game because it is not an easy game, so we found different ways to work it.
In the idea, all the teams could do so if time was invested on it, without this guaranteeing it with the same efficiency. Is the packers' argument good? It's hard to say, and it is a slightly different angle of attack than the one that was raised last year.
Banking the tash push is penalizing a single team?
It is obvious that banning the tash push will be more penalizing for the Eagles than the others. However, this does not necessarily prevent a league from making this kind of decisions in the interest of the League.
The most striking example has a name, and it is that of Lew Alcindor (now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). So in university, he saw the NCAA prohibit the dunk to limit his domination! A ban from the tash push, although penalizing more certain teams, is far from being unthinkable. Especially since it is always difficult to succeed in finding a fair and fair regé for everyone.
Conclusion
There will be no clear review here. The arguments exist on both sides, and the key elements are in this article. Everyone will be able to have their opinion, and it is the owners who will decide. But you have at least now reflection tracks.
