Completely stupid question about the NFL rules (1 Viewer)

[Mikey16x]

Let's say that it's the Superbowl. Team A is up by 3 points with 13 seconds left on the clock and playing D. Team B just threw a wide receiver screen pass, he broke a couple of tackles and has nothing but green in front of him... not a shadow of a doubt that he's reaching the endzone as he races up the opposing teams sideline. What would happen if a player, coach, towel boy, etc. tripped him? Obviously there would probably be a million penalties, fines, but could they rule it a touchdown if he was stopped on the 40, let's say? Do you think that it would in fact save the touchdown. Would the team be disqualified? Opinions please..

 

[JbizzleMan]

A better example should be that Team B is down by 5 so that simply penalizing Team B into FG range wouldn't cut it..

 

[videoguy505]

Let's say that it's the Superbowl. Team A is up by 3 points with 13 seconds left on the clock and playing D. Team B just threw a wide receiver screen pass, he broke a couple of tackles and has nothing but green in front of him... not a shadow of a doubt that he's reaching the endzone as he races up the opposing teams sideline. What would happen if a player, coach, towel boy, etc. tripped him? Obviously there would probably be a million penalties, fines, but could they rule it a touchdown if he was stopped on the 40, let's say? Do you think that it would in fact save the touchdown. Would the team be disqualified? Opinions please..

This happened in a college game back in like the 40's. IIRC, a TD was awarded.

 

[FallenHero32]

Let's say that it's the Superbowl. Team A is up by 3 points with 13 seconds left on the clock and playing D. Team B just threw a wide receiver screen pass, he broke a couple of tackles and has nothing but green in front of him... not a shadow of a doubt that he's reaching the endzone as he races up the opposing teams sideline. What would happen if a player, coach, towel boy, etc. tripped him? Obviously there would probably be a million penalties, fines, but could they rule it a touchdown if he was stopped on the 40, let's say? Do you think that it would in fact save the touchdown. Would the team be disqualified? Opinions please..

This happened in a college game back in like the 40's. IIRC, a TD was awarded.

Yeah I'm pretty sure a rule exists somewhere that would allow the Refs to award the TD automatically.Found it

Section 1 EmergenciesArticle 1 If any non-player, including photographers, reporters, employees, police orspectators, enters the field of play or end zones, and in the judgment of an official saidparty or parties interfere with the play, the Referee, after consulting his crew (12-3-3 and15-1-6), shall enforce any such penalty or score as the interference warrants.

 

[GregR_2]

Let's say that it's the Superbowl. Team A is up by 3 points with 13 seconds left on the clock and playing D. Team B just threw a wide receiver screen pass, he broke a couple of tackles and has nothing but green in front of him... not a shadow of a doubt that he's reaching the endzone as he races up the opposing teams sideline. What would happen if a player, coach, towel boy, etc. tripped him? Obviously there would probably be a million penalties, fines, but could they rule it a touchdown if he was stopped on the 40, let's say? Do you think that it would in fact save the touchdown. Would the team be disqualified? Opinions please..

This happened in a college game back in like the 40's. IIRC, a TD was awarded.

Yeah I'm pretty sure a rule exists somewhere that would allow the Refs to award the TD automatically.Found it

Section 1 EmergenciesArticle 1 If any non-player, including photographers, reporters, employees, police orspectators, enters the field of play or end zones, and in the judgment of an official saidparty or parties interfere with the play, the Referee, after consulting his crew (12-3-3 and15-1-6), shall enforce any such penalty or score as the interference warrants.

That would cover people not part of the team. If it was a player who did it, it would be under a different rule but basically the same outcome. From page 89 of the rule book:

Article 3 A player or substitute shall not interfere with play by any act which is palpably unfair.Penalty: For a palpably unfair act: Offender may be disqualified. The Referee, after consultinghis crew, enforces any such distance penalty as they consider equitable andirrespective of any other specified code penalty. The Referee could award a score.See 15-1-6.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

I thought about this after James Jones' fumble Monday night. Was wondering what would have happened if one of the Packers standing on the sideline had reached out and grabbed the ball when it rolled up the boundary line. Sounds like the refs have the authority to just call it a turnover. Wonder if they would have?

 

[timschochet]

Do you guys remember the Monday Night Game, Steelers vs. Jacksonville, a few years into Bill Cowher's career with Pittsburgh? I'll bet most Steeler fans do. The winning FG gets blocked on the last play, and this JVille player is running down the field, untouched- and there's Bill Cowher on the sideline getting ready to chase him down and tackle him! At the last second he thinks better of it and stops himself. It was classic Cowher.

 

[GregR_2]

I thought about this after James Jones' fumble Monday night. Was wondering what would have happened if one of the Packers standing on the sideline had reached out and grabbed the ball when it rolled up the boundary line. Sounds like the refs have the authority to just call it a turnover. Wonder if they would have?

Yes, they could. And if they thought the player who would have recovered it had a clear path to the end zone, they could even have awarded a touchdown.

 

[nysportsfan]

Do you guys remember the Monday Night Game, Steelers vs. Jacksonville, a few years into Bill Cowher's career with Pittsburgh? I'll bet most Steeler fans do. The winning FG gets blocked on the last play, and this JVille player is running down the field, untouched- and there's Bill Cowher on the sideline getting ready to chase him down and tackle him! At the last second he thinks better of it and stops himself. It was classic Cowher.

Monday Night Mayhem (1997)

In 1997, the Steelers and Jaguars battled each other for the AFC Central Division title. Their first meeting was a week 4 Monday Night game at Jacksonville. The Jags led 23-21 late, but the Steelers had a chance to win the game with a last-second field goal. However, veteran center Jim Sweeney screwed up the snap on the long attempt by kicker Norm Johnson. The kick was easily blocked and returned for a touchdown by Jacksonville’s Chris Hudson. The play was not only a huge blow to the Steelers standing in the division, but it also nearly cost Bill Cowher his job. Hudson ran right past Cowher on his way to the endzone, and Cowher almost reached out and tackled him. The fallout from a head coach tackling someone in the middle of a play would have been ugly at best.

http://americalovescountdowns.com/countdow...teelers-history

 

[TommyGilmore]

Let's say that it's the Superbowl. Team A is up by 3 points with 13 seconds left on the clock and playing D. Team B just threw a wide receiver screen pass, he broke a couple of tackles and has nothing but green in front of him... not a shadow of a doubt that he's reaching the endzone as he races up the opposing teams sideline. What would happen if a player, coach, towel boy, etc. tripped him? Obviously there would probably be a million penalties, fines, but could they rule it a touchdown if he was stopped on the 40, let's say? Do you think that it would in fact save the touchdown. Would the team be disqualified? Opinions please..

This happened in a college game back in like the 40's. IIRC, a TD was awarded.

Proof that Alabama has a long history of dirty play.

 

[jon_mx]

Do you guys remember the Monday Night Game, Steelers vs. Jacksonville, a few years into Bill Cowher's career with Pittsburgh? I'll bet most Steeler fans do. The winning FG gets blocked on the last play, and this JVille player is running down the field, untouched- and there's Bill Cowher on the sideline getting ready to chase him down and tackle him! At the last second he thinks better of it and stops himself. It was classic Cowher.

Doesn't even come close to

 

[rocketsauce]

I had a similar idea to this question with the new "Helmet off" rule.

As I'm sure most of you know, now when a player loses his helmet, the play is immediately blown dead. It happened this past weekend with Mike Tolbert, where he lost his helmet about a yard behind the line of scrimmage, but then kept battling and got the first down. However the ball was spotted a yard behind the line of scrimmage since thats when his helmet came off and the whistles began to blow. Anyway...

Lets say there is a horrible snap over the head of the Quarterback ala Alex Smith on MNF a few weeks ago. I'm sure if he just tore his helmet off we would be dealing with a similar situation to the interference question behind posted above -- but would or could a coach potentially tell his player to lose his helmet in such a situation? Because if the ball was 10 yard behind the QB, if he ran into an approaching lineman and popped his helmet off, the play would be blown dead (and thus the ball awarded to the last team that possessed it, the offense)

Anyway, just something I was thinking about the other day. This rule really seems like it could be manipulated in situations.

 

[nxmehta]

Great question, and cool to see that this has been accounted for in the rulebook.

 

[thayman]

I had a similar idea to this question with the new "Helmet off" rule.As I'm sure most of you know, now when a player loses his helmet, the play is immediately blown dead. It happened this past weekend with Mike Tolbert, where he lost his helmet about a yard behind the line of scrimmage, but then kept battling and got the first down. However the ball was spotted a yard behind the line of scrimmage since thats when his helmet came off and the whistles began to blow. Anyway...Lets say there is a horrible snap over the head of the Quarterback ala Alex Smith on MNF a few weeks ago. I'm sure if he just tore his helmet off we would be dealing with a similar situation to the interference question behind posted above -- but would or could a coach potentially tell his player to lose his helmet in such a situation? Because if the ball was 10 yard behind the QB, if he ran into an approaching lineman and popped his helmet off, the play would be blown dead (and thus the ball awarded to the last team that possessed it, the offense)Anyway, just something I was thinking about the other day. This rule really seems like it could be manipulated in situations.

The QB would have to have the ball and then tear off his helmet. The rule only applies to the ball carrier.

 

[Godsbrother]

Do you guys remember the Monday Night Game, Steelers vs. Jacksonville, a few years into Bill Cowher's career with Pittsburgh? I'll bet most Steeler fans do. The winning FG gets blocked on the last play, and this JVille player is running down the field, untouched- and there's Bill Cowher on the sideline getting ready to chase him down and tackle him! At the last second he thinks better of it and stops himself. It was classic Cowher.

Monday Night Mayhem (1997)

In 1997, the Steelers and Jaguars battled each other for the AFC Central Division title. Their first meeting was a week 4 Monday Night game at Jacksonville. The Jags led 23-21 late, but the Steelers had a chance to win the game with a last-second field goal. However, veteran center Jim Sweeney screwed up the snap on the long attempt by kicker Norm Johnson. The kick was easily blocked and returned for a touchdown by Jacksonville’s Chris Hudson. The play was not only a huge blow to the Steelers standing in the division, but it also nearly cost Bill Cowher his job. Hudson ran right past Cowher on his way to the endzone, and Cowher almost reached out and tackled him. The fallout from a head coach tackling someone in the middle of a play would have been ugly at best.

http://americalovescountdowns.com/countdow...teelers-history

Remember it well. It was really good Cowher stopped himself because he would have never coached again in the NFL.

 

[GregR_2]

I had a similar idea to this question with the new "Helmet off" rule.As I'm sure most of you know, now when a player loses his helmet, the play is immediately blown dead. It happened this past weekend with Mike Tolbert, where he lost his helmet about a yard behind the line of scrimmage, but then kept battling and got the first down. However the ball was spotted a yard behind the line of scrimmage since thats when his helmet came off and the whistles began to blow. Anyway...Lets say there is a horrible snap over the head of the Quarterback ala Alex Smith on MNF a few weeks ago. I'm sure if he just tore his helmet off we would be dealing with a similar situation to the interference question behind posted above -- but would or could a coach potentially tell his player to lose his helmet in such a situation? Because if the ball was 10 yard behind the QB, if he ran into an approaching lineman and popped his helmet off, the play would be blown dead (and thus the ball awarded to the last team that possessed it, the offense)Anyway, just something I was thinking about the other day. This rule really seems like it could be manipulated in situations.

The QB would have to have the ball and then tear off his helmet. The rule only applies to the ball carrier.

And removing your helmet yourself is a 15 yard penalty, as Browns fans and Dwayne Rudd can tell you.