2012 Season Week 11 Clips
TECHNICAL NOTE: For those not aware, when viewing these videos in the You Tube window, you can adjust the resolution for a sharper view. Notice in the lower right hand corner of the video player window a setting icon that looks like a gear. 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.
Poll Results:
Week 10's poll involved a tight play at the goal line where officials had to rule TD or touchback and then video review stepped in. In this play the crew ruled a fumble and then a touchback which was subsequently allowed to stand after the video review process. Although only 119 viewers expressed an opinion on the play, 95% said the ruling on the field should have been reversed to a TD. Perhaps those involved in the video review did not have benefit of the same videos our viewers saw.
Late Hit Wave Off Officials are generally very cognizant of the sidelines and are careful to ensure players are not initiating contact outside the sidelines. In the H's eyes on this play, the QB was hit after going out of bounds. It appears others on the crew, possibly the R, discussed it with him before taking him off the flag. A late hit foul is extremely punishing on the offending team so it is critical we get these calls right and take input form any official who had some view of the action. Please view the video and then take the poll that follows.
Personal Fouls With Ejections The rules provide many different scenarios wherein a player can be disqualified. Flagrant personal fouls are one such scenario. (9-1 PENALTY). However, a flagrant personal foul is a "...rule infraction so extreme or deliberate that it places an opponent in danger of catastrophic injury." (2-10-1) The R announced the guilty players here as having committed personal fouls. Fighting is another type of personal foul which carries a disqualification penalty, even if not a "flagrant" foul. However, the R did not announce these players were disqualified for fighting. This is a critical distinction since disqualifications for fighting by players in the 2d half have a "carry over" penalty which prohibits them from playing in the 1st half of their next game. The viewer can determine if the actions here rise to the level for which they would disqualify the players and if so, for what offense. It is noted recent news reports quote one player's coach saying he has been cleared to play this week as he was only ejected "for unsportsmanlike conduct." The official box score reflects the 2 players were charged with personal fouls.
Team A Actions on Punts In a very high profile game from last weekend, the team ahead was facing a critical 4th down and short situation. They were prepared to punt the ball away and the team behind would have sufficient time to try to score a go-ahead TD. As the teams were lined up waiting for the snap, Team B jumped into the neutral zone drawing an immediate reaction from threatened Team A linemen and resulting in a penalty for the defensive offside. The penalty resulted in a Team A 1st down and allowed them to run out the clock without giving up the football. In this video montage, every Team A punt during the game is shown so the observers can compare "normal" Team A actions with their actions on the final scrimmage kick formation. Interestingly, in the days following this game, a Team A coach has acknowledged calling a "special play" designed to draw the defense offside.
Chop Blocks There was a time when ruling on chop blocks simply required observing if a player was engaged high or just disengaging before the 2d block came in low. However, in recent years, guidance from the Rules Editor suggests we should be trying to determine if the high part of the engagement was truly initiated by the teammate of the player who went low. Example: If a Team A lineman is moving to get into position to block a linebacker "on the 2d level" and a defensive lineman puts a hand on him as he goes by followed by a 2d Team A lineman going low on that defender, that is NOT a chop block. Observers can look at this video and make their own judgment but the center appears to be moving to the 2d level when the defender tries to engage him just as the left guard goes low on that defender.
Defensive Holding - Penalty Enforcement Defensive holding is a somewhat unique foul in that the penalty enforcement depends on who was fouled (eligible receiver ?), when he was fouled (during a legal forward pass play), and if the legal forward pass crossed the neutral zone (9-3-4-e PENALTY). However, if the foul happens during any type of play other than a pass play, the penalty enforcement follows the very basic 3 and 1 principle. Yet there are still officials who get confused on this. Luckily in this video play, someone else on the crew stepped up and corrected the enforcement error before it was too late. In this play, the foul happened during a running play and the run ended beyond the neutral zone. Therefore, the penalty is enforced from the end of the run. Delays like that seen in this relatively routine play gives the appearance the crew is confused and brings undue attention to them.
Who Touched It First ? While it is critical that crewmates coordinate on many rulings since each one has a different angle on the play, officials must realize there are times when certain officials just have a much better view of the play and others should defer to their description of the events. In this play, the F saw the kick first touched by the receivers (it is noted he did not drop a bean bag which he likely would have had he judged the kickers touched the ball first). The B judged the kick was touched by the kickers first (and appeared to drop a bean bag). The discussion about interference was moot as the ball had bounced on the ground prior to coming down between the 2 players. Since the F was looking at the action, unblocked by any bodies, the B should have deferred to him as the B's view was obstructed by the Team A player's back.