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I am not saying it is a do over but a replay of the down ehich is aprt of the penalty Based on the casebook play mentioned above (although the play was on a try and no run) The kicker was more comfortable kicking from previous LOS so that's where the ball was placed for a re-try. (yes that is in line with the basic enforcement rule than going back to the line of scrimmage since it was not a run)
However, it seems to me the intent of removing the automatic declination rule was clear the rules committee did not want the defense to be automatically profit from a foul. The rule didnt state it was only when a team was down by 9 and they'd rather have the safety and the ball, it was that the team has the right to decline the penalty. When a team accepts a penalty there is always down and distance. So by telling a team that there is no enforcement spot and they must accept the TD, you are taking away their right to run another down. as it states in the casebook only the loss or automatic downs cannot be refused. Rule 10-5-5 also states that "The score is nullified if the penalty is accepted for a foul, other than non-player or unsportsmanlike, by A which occurs during a down resulting in a successful try, field goal, ot touchdown"
The comments on the rules state that although rare there are situations when "it would NOT BE IN THE BEST INTEREST to have the foul automatically declined." IF the team beleives that it is their best interest to accept the penalty, We cannot force them to take a TD because we have no enforcement spot, that would clearly violate what the team's best interest as they understand it and what I perceive as the intent of the rule. Now do I think a team is stupid for not taking the touchdown? YEP, but I am not the one who makes the best interest of the team decision. The team by refusing the penalty ia allowed by rule to refuse the touchdown, refuse the distance, get a replay of the down, so now the only thing left is where do we put the ball?
In this circumstance with only 38 seconds left to go in the game, there would have had to be a better way for Team A to run out the clock... but let;s take somehting else...
Team A is up by 1 and have been very poor at PAT's etc and they have 1:40 or so left in the game and they want to run out the clock. They now have a third and long and they have to pass. During the completed pass that scores a TD, the passer gets roughed. Clock now stops at 1:20 and Team B has no time outs. Team A believes that it is their best interest to accept the penalty, get a new series of downs, and retain the ball, Are we going to tell a coach sorry you cant do that because end of the run was in goal-line so you still have to take a TD and give up the ball? To me that kind of ruling is not in line with the intent of the rules. The only commom sense place to place the ball is the line of scrimmage like we would in a loose ball play.
I dunno but I would hate to be the one to try and explain to a team why they lost a game because they declined a penalty but still had to take a TD and give the ball to the other team who scored and won.
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