The Pigskin
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2013 Week 13 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.
The video page will continue bringing you clips each week which are good teaching material as we all work together to understand and enforce the sometimes complicated NCAA football rules. The videos are not meant to demean or belittle any official. They are used so that ALL officials can learn from the situations and issues other officials encounter in their games. No official has ever completed a career error-free. But by sharing our errors with others we help them avoid the same pitfalls. NCAA football officials at all levels exhibit incredible rule knowledge week in and week out. We can always get better and this page hopes to serve in that effort.
Our poll play last week concerned a play where a ball carrier's forward progress may or may not have been stopped before he broke free and scored a TD. 62% ruled progress was stopped so no TD. While the comments were varied, one of the most common ones concerned how the crew would have ruled had the ball carrier lost the ball. Those comments said if you are not prepared to rule a fumble in that situation then you must also not give the ball carrier the chance to continue the gain.
Helping the Runner? As all officials know, there was a rule change this year regarding helping the ball carrier (9-3-2-b). Players may not push a teammate to aid in forward progress but they still cannot, grasp, pull or lift the teammate to assist. Was there a foul on this play? It is noted the ball carrier was first contacted by his teammate at the B-38, the 2 of them came down at the B-36 but the ball carrier first actually touched ground at the B-35. The H ruled ball dead at the B-36. Please view this play video and take the poll. (Please remember to scroll down and click on the DONE button after making your choice.)
Targeting Unquestionably the biggest topic of controversy this season has been the targeting rule. While there will likely be some minor tweaks to the rule next season, the Rules Editor and conference coordinators/supervisors have their work cut out continuing to educate officials (including Instant Replay officials), on just what should or should not be called targeting. Play 1 In the first example, a targeting call is made but there appears to be no review of the call. Perhaps there were technical difficulties with the replay equipment? The announcer mentions the situation where the hitter may get charged with targeting because of the actions of the hittee. This is a very difficult thing to judge in full game speed but surely a player is not to be disqualified when the foul is caused by the hittee moving his head or because the hittee is being tackled or blocked such that his head is moved to a spot where it is then hit by another player? Play 2 This play features a targeting call that included a controversial overturn of the DQ. Most all the factors of targeting act were present. There was a defenseless player, the hitter launched and the hitter hit in the head or neck area. According to the explanation given, the IR official saw the initial hit as being at the receiver's shoulder. Perhaps the IR official had video not available to the TV audience?
IBB Penalty Enforcement The better crews know when to listen to their white hat and when to do "the right thing." This R was apparently confused over the correct penalty yardage for an illegal block in the back (of course it is 10 yards, not 15) and further confused by the enforcement spot being inside the B-30. The flag was at the B-24 (although foul actually happened at the B-23 or 22). The ball was next snapped at the B-14 (reflecting a correct 10 yard mark off).
No Free Shots Too many defensive backs have some sort of mistaken impression that they are allowed to essentially mug a receiver after the receiver has muffed a pass or it is not catchable. The covering official realized the play was over and judged the defender should have as well. Therefore he does not get to take a free shot. This was correctly ruled as a dead ball personal foul and not unsportsmanlike conduct as it was very near the ball becoming dead and could be considered a part of game action.
Loose Ball in the EZ Lots of considerations on this play. Should the QB have been ruled down and ball dead before it came loose? Did it come loose as a fumble or as an attempt by the QB to pass it forward? If it was an attempted pass, should it be called intentional grounding as there were no eligible receivers in the area (unless you judge A1 was in the area). Was it an attempted forward handing of the ball to A55 or A58 ( both of whom had faced their own end line at anytime after the snap so were eligible to take a forward handoff from that spot about 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage)? A secondary issue is the play clock. The ball was judged dead when there was about 11:54 on the game clock. The game clock correctly continued to run but the officials were conferencing. Perhaps they should have stopped the clock to discuss the confusing prior play. The U did have the ball placed by the 11:35 so technically the offense could have snapped at anytime thereafter. But the offense could have been legitimately confused due to the officials conferencing. By the time they realized what the next down and distance would be, got the play in and went to the line of scrimmage, the play clock expired. Stopping the clock for the short conference, then restarting it and starting a 25 second play clock might have been a better way to handle the situation.
Dead Ball Foul Penalty Enforcement Confusion When a ball carrier has made the line to gain and after the ball becomes dead there is a dead ball foul, a new line to gain must be established. (5-1-4-e). This can result in situations where the new line to gain is behind what the previous line to gain was. In this play it was 1st and 10 at the B-45. A made a big gain to the B-32 (or 34 ??). After the ball was dead there was a dead ball foul by Team A. It appears initially the crew enforced the penalty (from spot of foul maybe ?????) and were going to replay the down without establishing a new line to gain. A subsequent crew conference resulted in the ball being moved further back as it should have been. However, it appears the crew lost track of the previous dead ball spot as the ball went all the way to the B-49 (suggesting they ruled ball dead at the B-34). The new line to gain was established at the B-39 (it had been the B-35 before the previous play).