2011 Post-Season Week 5 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.
Catch/No-Catch? This play has created a considerable amount of discussion among officials and the public. Was there a catch and a TD or an incomplete pass? Although the play did go under instant replay review, the resulting judgment has not been universally accepted. (Is it ever?) Judging the play requires we know the definition of a catch when the receiver is airborne and comes to ground (2-4-3-a-2 ). He must have firmly grasp the live ball and have it in firm grasp when he touches ground in bounds. If there is a question as to whether a pass is complete or incomplete, it is incomplete (2-4-3-f). Please view the video and then take the poll that follows.
False Start and No 10 Second Subtraction This play in the last minute of a game is a good example of a situation where the foul does NOT include a 10 second subtraction in the penalty (and a good explanation by the R). Although Team A committed a false start which is a foul we would normally associate with a 10 second subtraction penalty ( 3-4-4-a-1), in this situation the game clock was NOT running. Therefore the foul did not cause the game clock to stop so there is no 10 second subtraction.
Chop Block ? Chop blocks can be one of the most devastating blocks on the football field and cause serious injury. The rules regarding such blocks have changed over the years with the intent of limiting them as much as possible as well as to make it easier to officiate. However, the rulemakers also want officials NOT to flag some actions that may appear to be chop blocks but which are caused by the actions of the blockee. There are 5 AR plays devoted to chop blocks (AR 9-1-10-I - V). One that was added this year discusses a situation where a Team A blocker brushes by a Team B player on his way to block a different Team B player. The original Team B player then initiates contact against that moving Team A blocker. While there is still contact between the 2, a 2d Team A blocker blocks the Team B player low. The ruling is that this is NOT a chop block. Officials can view this video play and decide for themselves if it fits the AR.
False Start on the Kicker ? This play has generated good discussion among officials. Did the kicker here commit a false start? The player who lines up as the potential kicker of a field goal attempt is a back. As such, he is bound by the same pre-snap restrictions any other back is bound by. 7-1-2-b-4 prohibits Team A players from making a "quick, jerky movement" before the snap after the ready for play when they are in a scrimmage formation. Same kicker, same game. False start? False Start on the Kicker 2 ? (Side note: Good explanation by the R as to why it was legal for the Team A lineman to catch the forward pass.)
Offensive Pass Interference Good catch by the L on this play. Although the offending Team a player was quite a distance from the L, he clearly committed a "pick" and was properly flagged for the act.
Hurdlng? Tripping? Unsportsmanlike Conduct ? Some officials have viewed this video and judged the actions of B4 as hurdling. By definition, in order for an act like this to be a hurdle, the player jumped over must be "on his feet", which means no part of his body other than 1 or both feet can be touching ground (2-15). In this play, the player lept over (A20) may have actually been airborne. A technical reading of the rule might suggest this is a hurdle but is it truly the intent of the rule to make this act a foul? Officials have also noted A20 may have used his leg to intentionally obstruct an opponent (2-28). If that is what you see, then you do have a tripping foul. But if the defender simply trips over the falling A20, it is NOT a foul. Observe the action of A4 after the play ends. This "Superman" celebration is being seen more and more frequently on the field. Is this unsportsmanlike conduct?
llegal Block Below the Waist Players who are in the backfield with any part of their body outside the tackle box may block below the waist along a north-south line as well as toward the sideline adjacent to them at the snap (9-1-6 Exception 2-a ). They cannot go across the formation and block low toward the sideline opposite them at the snap. Who should catch this foul in this situation? This is an example of a block which would have been legal in the past as the force of the block is NOT back towards the original position of the ball at the snap. After so many years of looking for illegal blocks using that criteria, officials are still learning to look for the new style of illegal low blocks.