Untitled Document

August 24, 2006
A big deal was made in the Kansas City preseason game about how the Brandon Jacobs fumble call could now be subject to replay review because the "down by contact" rule which prevented certain plays from being reviewed had been changed for this season.

This seems wrong and backward to me. I understood the "down by contact" rule to mean that even if a player clearly fumbled before his knee was down (or his progress was stopped), if the officials had blown the whistle before the fumble, a ruling that the player did not fumble was not subject to a replay review.

The Jacobs incident was the opposite. The officials ruled that the fumble occurred before his knee touched the ground (which it did not) and initially awarded the ball to the Chiefs. A blown whistle or "down by contact" ruling was not involved at all. The referee reviewed the play and determined that Jacobs was down and the Giants kept the ball.

I would think such a reversal would have been permitted last year and the "down by contact" rule is not relevant in this instance. What do you think? -- Mark G.

You are perfectly correct regarding the down by contact rule that was invoked on the play involving Brandon Jacobs. As I was telling your editor the other day: "Regarding the Jacobs "fumble," the announcers and analysts covering the NFL games on TV continue to be confused (surprise, surprise) regarding the "new" replay rule.

Last year, as indicated in Rule 15-9 (c) (1), the question of whether a runner was "ruled not down by defensive contact" (i.e., had the play been allowed to continue when it should have been shut down with an official's whistle) could be reviewed (and still can this year.) That is what happened to Jacobs. He should have been ruled down (and a whistle sounded although the whistle is actually superfluous as the whistle does not kill the play, the action kills the play) but he wasn't. Upon review, it was determined that the play should have been ruled over before the "fumble" occurred. The same ruling could have and would have been made last year.

Last year also, it was specifically indicated (Rule 15-9 Note 4) that a "Runner ruled down by defensive contact" (i.e., the play had been killed by an official's whistle when it should not have been) was not reviewable. In other words, had the fumble occurred before Jacobs hit the ground but a whistle was sounded while the ball was loose could not be reviewed and the ball would remain with the offensive team at the spot where he had been ruled down.

This is the part that has changed. This year, if the ball comes loose before the player hits the ground and a whistle sounds, we will have, in effect, a continuation play where the ball can be recovered by the defense. If the play is challenged, the referee can now rule that the runner was not down by contact and the ball will be given to the defense (if they recover it) unlike last year where this situation could not be challenged. The new rule change buys the officials out of what previously was actually an (often embarrassing) "inadvertent whistle" situation but was covered up by saying that the ruling on the field was down by contact and therefore not challengeable.

I hope that this clarifies things. I am sure that we will have many opportunities to revisit this rule change this year and I am equally sure that the announcers and "experts" will continue to botch the interpretation.

August 16, 2006
Answer to Last Week's Question:
Rule 12-3-1 (k) states that it is Unsportsmanlike Conduct if: "An offensive player lines up or is in motion less than five yards from the sideline in front of his team's designated bench area." As the posed situation occurred at the 50 yard line, it is obviously in front of the Giants bench area and thus, it is Unsportsmanlike Conduct. The 15 yard penalty will be assessed from the previous spot. The purpose of the rule is to avoid a "hideout" play where the player in motion attempts to get lost along the sideline and then go down field to catch a pass.

This Week's Questions:
As we approach the season, I have two questions related to onside kicks that may come up often:

a) Jay Feely attempts an onside kick from the Giants 30 yard line by driving the ball into the ground where it rebounds high up into the air. An Eagles player standing at the Giants 43 yard line signals for a fair catch but gets blasted by David Tyree before the ball arrives. The untouched ball then bounces to the 50-yard line where Curtis Deloatch falls on it. Is there a foul and if so, what is it and where will it be assessed? To which team will the ball belong?

b) On another Feely onside kick attempt, the Giants have 9 players to his right and only David Tyree to his left. The Eagles sent most of their hands team to the right opposite the Giants players. Feely suddenly turns and kicks the ball to his left where Tyree falls on it after it has gone 10 yards. Is this a legal play and if not, why not?

Answer to Last Week's Question:
It is interesting that the Chop Block Rule (Rule 12-2-15) takes up almost two full pages in the rule book and includes 10 different situations, making it possibly the most complex rule in the Rule Book. In any event, both of the situations described in this week’s question constitute a “Chop Block” on a passing play and the result would be a 15 yard penalty in both cases and it would be assessed from the previous spot (i.e., the spot where the play began). The same situation would exist if the play starts out as a pass but ends up as a run (i.e., all receivers are covered). The situation described would also be a Chop Block on a running play if the action occurred inside the position initially assumed by the Tight End.

This Week’s Question
With the ball at the 50 yard line, Amani Toomer goes in motion along the Giants 46 yard line towards the Giants sideline. Manning has a long count and Toomer runs out of room right in front (i.e., within a yard or two) of the Giants bench and runs in place facing the sideline until the ball is snapped. Is this legal? If it is not, what is the penalty and where is it enforced.

My question is, in the last two minutes of the game or half, 9 seconds left, time is stopped due to an injured player, the team with the player has one more timeout left, can they use that timeout to prevent having the game of half ended? The way I read the rule is that the seconds are run off an if enough time is left, then the timeout is granted. Am I correct or is there another interpretation? —Jon V.

Answer to Last Week's Question
Rule 9-1-5 indicates that no member of the kicking team who has been out of bounds may return and be the first to touch the ball. The usuakl penalty is 5 yards from the previous spot and replay the down. However, if the touching occurs inside the five yard line, the receiving team may elect to take a touchback. So the options to be given to the Eagles Captain are: 1) Take the results of the play (assuming an Eagles player subsequently picked up the ball and advanced it; 2) Replay the down at the previous spot with a 5 yards penalty against the Giants; or 3) accept a touchback and put the ball in play at the Eagles 20 yard line.

Last Week’s Question #2
We also asked a question last week regarding the situation if a ball is fumbled and while the ball is free on the ground, an official sounds his whistle. In the past, the whistle stopped all play and the ball could not be recovered by the defense. This year there has been a change to the rule and if the play is challenged and it determined that the ball was out prior to the ball carrier hitting the ground, the ball can be recovered by the defense even though the whistle sounded. This will create a situation where: a) the officials will try to hold their whistle if there is any doubt regarding the status of the ball; and b) the players will be told to continue to pursue the ball even though the whistle has sounded. It will also create a situation where there may be hits after the whistle that in the past would have brought a flag for a late hit but which will now be ignored.

There are a number of questions regarding how this situation will be officiated and whether the new rule will create conditions that could have adverse health implications to the players. Expect that some of these situations will be worked out during the exhibition season but I expect that the rule will cause some controversy (and problems) during the season.

This Week’s Question
This week’s question has two parts: a) On a passing play, Luke Pettigout is blocking the Vikings defensive end above the waist and while he maintains contact, Tiki Barber dives at and makes contact with the DE from in front at knee level. What is the call? Where is the penalty assessed? b) Pettigout blocks the DE and then retreats a step and while the DE is focused on Pettigout but not in contact with him, Barber dives at and makes makes contact with the DE from in front at knee level. What is the call? Where is the penalty assessed?

August 7, 2006
Please explain the reason for so many more hash marks on the field now. — Mike B.

Giants punt from the 50 yard line. David Tyree while attempting to get downfield to cover the punt goes out of bounds and then returns to the field and is the first to touch the ball as it is rolling on the ground at the Eagles 2 yard line. What options are given to the Eagles captain?

Rule 9-1-5 indicates that no member of the kicking team who has been out of bounds may return and be the first to touch the ball. The usuakl penalty is 5 yards from the previous spot and replay the down. However, if the touching occurs inside the five yard line, the receiving team may elect to take a touchback. So the options to be given to the Eagles Captain are: 1) Take the results of the play (assuming an Eagles player subsequently picked up the ball and advanced it; 2) Replay the down at the previous spot with a 5 yards penalty against the Giants; or 3) accept a touchback and put the ball in play at the Eagles 20 yard line.

We also asked a question last week regarding the situation if a ball is fumbled and while the ball is free on the ground, an official sounds his whistle. In the past, the whistle stopped all play and the ball could not be recovered by the defense. This year there has been a change to the rule and if the play is challenged and it determined that the ball was out prior to the ball carrier hitting the ground, the ball can be recovered by the defense even though the whistle sounded. This will create a situation where: a) the officials will try to hold their whistle if there is any doubt regarding the status of the ball; and b) the players will be told to continue to pursue the ball even though the whistle has sounded. It will also create a situation where there may be hits after the whistle that in the past would have brought a flag for a late hit but which will now be ignored.

This week’s question has two parts: a) On a passing play, Luke Pettigout is blocking the Vikings defensive end above the waist and while he maintains contact, Tiki Barber dives at and makes contact with the DE from in front at knee level. What is the call? Where is the penalty assessed? b) Pettigout blocks the DE and then retreats a step and while the DE is focused on Pettigout but not in contact with him, Barber dives at and makes makes contact with the DE from in front at knee level. What is the call? Where is the penalty assessed?

Answer to Last Week's Question:
The overall dimensions of the field are 360 feet by 160 feet (120 yards by 53 1/3 yards), the distance between the uprights is 18 ½ feet and the distance between the hash marks is 18 ½ feet.

This Weeks Question
Giants punt from the 50 yard line. David Tyree while attempting to get downfield to cover the punt goes out of bounds and then returns to the field and is the first to touch the ball as it is rolling on the ground at the Eagles 2 yard line. What options are given to the Eagles captain?