Stat Question (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Pasquino]

What constitutes a team possession?

A few examples:

1. Seattle - had they achieved a TD last night on a fumble recovery in the end zone (thereby only holding the ball for :00, but scoring) for the touchdown, is that a possession?

2. KR/PR fumble back to the kicking team - possession to the receiving team?

3. Same as #2, but a muffed kick recovered by the kicking team?

4. INT at the end of a half - INT'ing team gets a possession?

5. Finally (I'm sure there are more) - what about a double-turnover?

My answers:

1. Yes

2. Yes

3. No

4. Yes

5. Yes

 

[BroadwayG]

I've always considered it a team possession when you run an offensive play.

 

[Iron Mike Tomczak]

Yes to all except to #3, where you must be more specific. A muffed fieldgoal I believe results in a change of possessions unless the ball is advanced passed the 1st down marker off the block? In this case I would say NO.

On a punt, YES. If a punt is blocked and the ball goes forward, the blocker thus had a team possession, though it would be momentary, then if kicking team recovers, it becomes a new team possession.

If the punt is blocked backward I believe it can only be downed.

Im not 100 percent on this, but ive seen a punt block get recovered by the kicking team, which made me think "why isnt intentional punt block in team playbooks?"

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

bump

 

[Biabreakable]

Why?

A possesion is when one team has control of the ball until they lose control of it.

If you explain what is behind your question it might be easier to answer it.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

Why?A possesion is when one team has control of the ball until they lose control of it.If you explain what is behind your question it might be easier to answer it.

The question has two sources....1. The Colts are averaging fewer than 10 possessions (hence team possessions) on offense this year, lowest in the NFL.2. The Seattle play in the end zone - just one instance I thought of where the "team possession" may be a question.

 

[Biabreakable]

I see. What is the average ammount of team possesions for a game? 12 or 13?

I do think the Colts have gotten worked over pretty bad in TOP for some games however thier TOP average for the year is 30:28 so that is pretty even and slightly in thier advantage.

Number of possesions is not a NFL.com official team statistic.

Number of possesions is the sum of change of possesion caused by turnovers, punting, turnover on downs, end of the half/game and when a team scores.

The Colts are tied with 3 teams at 21st in the league for turnovers forced.

The Colts are 29th in the league with turnovers given up.

They are pretty low in both categories. Washinton had the fewest combined turnovers. New Orleans had less than the Colts did also.

A team that forces a lot of turnovers or commits a lot of turnovers will have more possesions. But that does not neccessarily mean they had more opportunities to score or win games. Having a high turnover differential does help a team win of course and the Colts were tied for 7th in the league at +7 turnover differential.

Chicago led the league with 44 turnovers forced. But they gave the ball away 36 times themselves. So they had many more possesions than the Colts did. But the net difference was only +8 so only slightly better in turnover differential.

The Colts were last in the league for total number of punts 47. They did not get extra possesions because of this but it was not a bad thing.

The Colts were 4th in the league in number of kickoffs so this means they were very high in terms of getting points off each possesion.

It is hard to calculate accuratly punt and kickoff returns as so many of these result in fair catch out of bounds touchback ect.

I think TOP is a more important statistic than number of possesions. And actualy I am not sure where you got the number of possesions stat from.

 

[snorlax]

How I feel with little to back this up:

1. No

2. Yes

3. No

4. No

5. No

 

[GregR_2]

The question has two sources....1. The Colts are averaging fewer than 10 possessions (hence team possessions) on offense this year, lowest in the NFL.

I don't know where you're making the jump from offensive possession meaning the same as team possession. The INT returned for a TD would seem to me to be a team possession but clearly not an offensive possession since they never had the ball on offense.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

The question has two sources....1. The Colts are averaging fewer than 10 possessions (hence team possessions) on offense this year, lowest in the NFL.

I don't know where you're making the jump from offensive possession meaning the same as team possession. The INT returned for a TD would seem to me to be a team possession but clearly not an offensive possession since they never had the ball on offense.

Of course I could be mistaken, but I believe that once you have possession of the ball, you are autmatically considered to be on offense (hence if a DB picks off a pass then fumbles it back to the WR, for example, the WR's team gets a first down due to 2 changes of possession).Where's MT....

 

[Bri]

1. A team's possession begins when they take over on offense and ends when they give up the ball either by turnover, punt, or scoring.

 

[GregR_2]

The question has two sources....1. The Colts are averaging fewer than 10 possessions (hence team possessions) on offense this year, lowest in the NFL.

I don't know where you're making the jump from offensive possession meaning the same as team possession. The INT returned for a TD would seem to me to be a team possession but clearly not an offensive possession since they never had the ball on offense.

Of course I could be mistaken, but I believe that once you have possession of the ball, you are autmatically considered to be on offense (hence if a DB picks off a pass then fumbles it back to the WR, for example, the WR's team gets a first down due to 2 changes of possession).Where's MT....

I don't think that matters. Yes, the official NFL rulebook uses the term Offense and Defense as defined by who has possession of the ball, and uses Team A and Team B to denote the team who begins the play (A) and the other team (B).But just because the NFL uses that in its rulebook doesn't mean it applies to all uses of Offense and Defense in common usage. If you talk about the best player on the Colts offense no one thinks you mean Dwight Freeney just because his unit sometimes gets possession of the ball. Same here.If you say offensive possession I think the vast majority of people will interpret it to mean the team's offensive unit got a chance to snap the ball. If you say team possession it is probably muddier what people will believe is meant, but I should think it would include any time the team possesses the ball, including when the defensive unit does.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

The question has two sources....1. The Colts are averaging fewer than 10 possessions (hence team possessions) on offense this year, lowest in the NFL.

I don't know where you're making the jump from offensive possession meaning the same as team possession. The INT returned for a TD would seem to me to be a team possession but clearly not an offensive possession since they never had the ball on offense.

Of course I could be mistaken, but I believe that once you have possession of the ball, you are autmatically considered to be on offense (hence if a DB picks off a pass then fumbles it back to the WR, for example, the WR's team gets a first down due to 2 changes of possession).Where's MT....

I don't think that matters. Yes, the official NFL rulebook uses the term Offense and Defense as defined by who has possession of the ball, and uses Team A and Team B to denote the team who begins the play (A) and the other team (B).But just because the NFL uses that in its rulebook doesn't mean it applies to all uses of Offense and Defense in common usage. If you talk about the best player on the Colts offense no one thinks you mean Dwight Freeney just because his unit sometimes gets possession of the ball. Same here.If you say offensive possession I think the vast majority of people will interpret it to mean the team's offensive unit got a chance to snap the ball. If you say team possession it is probably muddier what people will believe is meant, but I should think it would include any time the team possesses the ball, including when the defensive unit does.

I'd agree with that statement above. Thanks GregR.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

What constitutes a team possession?A few examples:1. Seattle - had they achieved a TD last night on a fumble recovery in the end zone (thereby only holding the ball for :00, but scoring) for the touchdown, is that a possession?2. KR/PR fumble back to the kicking team - possession to the receiving team?3. Same as #2, but a muffed kick recovered by the kicking team?4. INT at the end of a half - INT'ing team gets a possession?5. Finally (I'm sure there are more) - what about a double-turnover?

As a rules question, the team that is in control of the ball in the field of play has possession. So the answers are yes, yes, no, yes, yes.As a stats question, I have no idea.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

GregR covered it.

I'm in Colorado this week and didn't bring the 2006 rulebook with me. But the 1999 rulebook is online at bengalfan1.com.

Here is rule 3, section 35:

TEAM A AND B, OFFENSE AND DEFENSE

Article 1

Whenever a team is in possession (3-2-7), it is the Offense and, at such time its opponent is the Defense.

Article 2

The team that puts the ball in play is Team A, and its opponent is Team B. For brevity, a player on is referred to as A1 and his teammates as A2, A3, etc. Opponents are B1, B2, etc.

Note: A team becomes Team A when it has been designated to put the ball in play, and it remains Team A until a down ends, even though there might be one or more changes of possession during the down.This is in contrast with the terms Offense and Defense. Team A is always the offense when a down starts, but becomes the defense if and when B secures possession during the down, and vise versa for each change of possession.

 

[GregR_2]

GregR covered it.

I'm in Colorado this week and didn't bring the 2006 rulebook with me. But the 1999 rulebook is online at bengalfan1.com.

Here is rule 3, section 35:

TEAM A AND B, OFFENSE AND DEFENSE

Article 1

Whenever a team is in possession (3-2-7), it is the Offense and, at such time its opponent is the Defense.

Article 2

The team that puts the ball in play is Team A, and its opponent is Team B. For brevity, a player on is referred to as A1 and his teammates as A2, A3, etc. Opponents are B1, B2, etc.

Note: A team becomes Team A when it has been designated to put the ball in play, and it remains Team A until a down ends, even though there might be one or more changes of possession during the down.This is in contrast with the terms Offense and Defense. Team A is always the offense when a down starts, but becomes the defense if and when B secures possession during the down, and vise versa for each change of possession.

Same text in the 2006 version.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

This might be a dumb question, but.....

where do you get a copy of the rulebook?

 

[GregR_2]

This might be a dumb question, but.....

where do you get a copy of the rulebook?

Not sure if local bookstores will have it, but if not it's easy to get on Amazon.http://www.amazon.com/Official-Playing-Nat...e/dp/1572439041