2011 Post-Season Week 4 Clips
TECHNICAL NOTE: For those not aware, when viewing these videos in the YouTube window, you can adjust the resolution for a sharper view. Notice in the lower right hand corner of the video player window a setting such as "240p". Click on that and you can adjust the setting up to 360p, 480p or even 720p in some cases. This will give you a sharper image.
Previous weeks have featured plays with polls. If you answered the polls, you should be able to see the results now.
Intentional Grounding ? When we first saw the rule changes for this year, one of the most discussed changes involved intentional grounding. The rulemakers apparently wanted Team A to be able to legally throw the ball away to avoid a loss of yardage even easier than they already could. As predicted, many coaches, players, fans, and some officials struggled with the rule throughout the season. 7-3-2-h (with Exception) says: A forward pass is illegal if the passer, to conserve yardage, throws the ball forward into an area where there is no eligible receiver. The exception permits the passer to legally throw the ball away if: 1 - He is or has been outside the tackle box; and 2 - the ball crosses or lands beyond the NZ. (NOTE: It does not take much to get outside the tackle box. In fact, many say that 2 good strides to one side or the other from behind the snapper will take the passer outside the tackle box.) Please view the video and then take the poll that follows.
Strange Ending This play at the end of a bowl game leaves lots of unanswered questions. Down by 4, Team A must go nearly the length of the field on the last play in order to score. A9 passes the ball in a desperate attempt to keep the play going. Did he step out of bounds before doing so? If so, the play was over. (News reports suggest A9 was out of bounds before passing) Was his pass forward or backward? If backward the ball stays in play but if forward, the pass is incomplete and the play ends. (However, a forward pass in this situation is illegal as A9 was clearly beyond the NZ) The covering official (L) seems to rule the ball was still live and the pass was backward by punching backward. (A bean bag should be deployed for this backward pass also) Perhaps someone else on the crew ruled incomplete forward pass which led to Team B's celebratory field rush. The R is quickly departing the field but did he have time to verify there were no Team B fouls on the play which would have required the down be repeated. These end-of-game situations are clearly chaotic. We are always told that one of our key attributes must be the ability to stay cool, calm and collected in the face if whatever wildness we might confront. These types of situations are among probably the wildest any of us would ever have to confront. Do we just bail out or do we stay there and face it like the smooth operators we are supposed to be?
4th Down and Dead Ball Penalty Enforcement Crews must be especially alert on 4th down situations to ensure correct enforcement of dead ball fouls. If Team A has not made the line to gain on 4th down, any dead ball foul after the play ends will not result in Team A retaining possession and gaining a 1st down. In this video clip, the covering official apparently deemed the Team B player gave the runner an extra act that the official deemed worthy of a flag. Possession should go over to Team B with the penalty enforced from the dead ball spot before setting up the chains with a 1st and 10.
Defensive Tactics Designed to Create a False Start Although not clear from the video exactly what the defense did, the Umpire detected they had done something designed to induce Team A to false start. Defenses will use words and/or movement at times in an attempt to cause Team A false starts. Rule 7-5-a describes the pre-snap acts by Team B which are fouls. Some of these are classified as offside and require use of signal 18. Some are classified as delay of game and require use of signal 21. Attempts to induce a false start by signals or movement or using signals that interfere with the Team A snap count are delay of game fouls.
10 Second Runoff for Defensive Fouls Good administration and explanation of the penalty for a defensive foul in the last minute of a half. Since the game clock was running and the defensive offside both prevented the snap and caused the clock to stop, the 10 second runoff was appropriate (3-4-4-a-1). Although it appears the ball was snapped, the only way there could have been a "Zap10" would have been if the foul was a dead ball foul. Perhaps it was but we are unable to tell from video. Perhaps the nose guard's 1st move into the NZ caused the snapper to flinch.
Illegal Shift as False Start This is an example of what used to be a live-ball illegal shift but is now considered a dead-ball false start ((7-1-2-b-5) It is properly signaled as a false start and a good explanation makes clear what transpired. The R also explains why the 10 second runoff does not apply in this scenario. Illegal Shift/False Start 2 This play is another example of the same rule change. However, it was incorrectly signaled as an illegal shift. (AR 7-1-2-IV) It appears the crew correctly handled it as a dead ball foul since they did not start the clock until the snap following penalty enforcement.
Unsportsmanlike Conduct ? If a player scored a TD and then immediately started posturing like B32 does in this play, would you flag it as unsportsmanlike conduct? If so, then you should flag this act by the defender also. (9-2-1-a-1-d)
Onside Kickoffs and Early Blocks This week we again had an onside kickoff with Team A players blocking before they were eligible to touch the kicked ball. This is a foul (6-1-2-g). In this particular play, Team A is also offside. This degree of being across the line would not normally be flagged as offside on a long KO, but on short free kicks and onside kicks, there is no tolerance for Team A players other than the kicker or holder breaking the Team A restraining line prior to the kick. B7 is blocked before Team A is eligible to touch the kicked ball. Furthermore, he is blocked below the waist which is a different foul (9-1-6). Crews should use this play and similar ones to discuss how they will handle these situations to ensure they are prepared as they can occur without warning and at any time in the game. Some teams respond to onside kick attempts like this by having many of their players go forward to engage the onrushing Team A players and prevent them from getting to the ball and to prevent Team A from blocking Team B players who are trying to secure the ball. This video demonstrates that response: Onside Kick Response In this situation, there is no foul on Team A as Team B has initiated the early blocks, which they are permitted to do. One last onside kick play: Onside With Illegal Formation In this play the R correctly notes Team A only had 3 players on one side of the kicker when the ball was kicked, a foul as per 6-1-2-c. Since Team B had the ball at the end of the play, they were able to elect the 5 yard "tack on" penalty (10-2-4).