Quote:
Originally posted by Jim S
Bob, Is it REALLY unfair to B? Would they have had an opportunity to have a play and win the game if A hadn't committed such a foul on the last play of the game?
The change is to take away a situation where A can gain an advantage (score , or get another play) by committing a foul. It really doesn't take away an advantage for R. If there is no incentive to commit the foul there probably will be no foul of this type.
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REPLY: In my opinion, yes it is patently unfair to B. By
illegally ending the play (and the game) with an illegal forward pass, B by their foul deprives A of any opportunity to let the game end foul-free. You ask, "Would they (Team B) have had an opportunity to have a play and win the game if A hadn't committed such a foul on the last play of the game?" Good question. We won't know if we just allow A to end the game by throwing an IFP. Isn't there a risk of a fumble by the A runner if he just waits and takes the hit? And doesn't he effectively mitigate that risk by illegally ending the play? And just suppose he was going to pass. What's the safer route, throwing a pass to an eligible who is covered, or dumping it to avoid any possibility of a turnover?
Or even a better example: A leads by 3 points with 0:04 remaining in the fourth quarter. A, 4-10 from A's 4. A throws a pass into the flats at A's 8. Corner breaks on the ball and clearly has a perfect opportunity to intercept and take it in for the winning score. WR A88 pulls him down to prevent the interception. Pass falls incomplete. Clock expires during the down. According to the proposed rule, "Sorry B. The penalty for A's OPI foul includes loss of down so the game is over." Now I'll re-ask your question: "Would they have had an opportunity to have a play and win the game if A hadn't committed such a foul on the last play of the game?" Yep...probably.
I understand completely why the rule needs to be changed (the play you cited). And it's perfectly fair in that case. But in the plays I cite, I think it's grossly unfair. My suggestion to the Rules Committee would be to offer the offended team the choice of whether to extend or not.