Quote:
Originally posted by mbcrowder
I see both sides - 1 side says you're more accurate on 1st down calls when you begin on the yardlines as often as possible, and more accurate respotting the ball after incomplete passes or penalties. The other side will scream - how can you give a team up to half a yard one way or the other solely to make your job easier.
It amazes me how often I'm told one or the other when working with a seasoned guy. And it's always a strongly held opinion, whichever way they hold it. At this point, I just go with the flow and mark it the way that guy wants to mark it for that game.
|
Give them all they earned. No more, no less. If the ball is spotted between a yardline then that's fine. If you keep giving the extra yardage then you are cheating the defense. No where in the rules does it say to move the ball to the nearest yardline. There are rules in place to help us in determining first downs or not. If close, stop the clock and measure. Nobody ever said our job is easy. Don't take shortcuts. Remember back to the Rams and Titans Superbowl. The Titans lost by a yard. If only they would have been given that extra yard earlier in the drive. But then that wouldn't have been fair to the defense of the Rams.