Quote:
Originally posted by RamTime
Pocket Area: Applies from a point two yards outside of either offensive tackle.
I am assuming that "outside" refers to the area of the football field between the tackles and the sidelines. Is this not correct?
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Ok RamTime, here is my take. Not that I am an expert, but I do work NFL rules, have the "official" NFL rules from a current NFL official, and have been to two clinics and discussed things with two other NFL officials. You did seem to feel I was ok on my rulings in the other NLF post yesterday.
First off, 9-3-1-note 1 states "IG will not be called a passer, while outside the tackle postion and facing imminent loss of yardage, throws a forward pass that lands near, or beyond the LOS, even if no offensive players have a realistic change to catch the ball (including if the ball lands OOB's over the sideline or endline." So they do not have to be 2 yards outside the tackles, just outside them, which would mean outside their outside shoulder at the snap.
The 2nd clip shows the QB is close to that, would would mean no foul, but even if he is not, I think he throws what is supposed to be a timing pattern, and his receiver turned in, not out. This is what it looks like from when he releases the ball. He does not seem to be in imminent danger to lose yardage yet either in my opinion.
Here is how I would handle it if I were the R on that play. I would process what I say, probably get together with my U, wing, and deep official and discuss it. If we feel he was not in imminent danger, was close to outside the tackle, and it looked like the receiver broke the route the wrong way, I would have NO foul. If any of those three were true, we would have NO foul. I think you could say that all of them may be true, so seeing that play, my vote would be, NO foul.
All the AR's found in my NFL rule book state "to keep from being tackled" and I don't think the QB is worried about that at the point in which he throws the ball. I appears to me that he could step up "into the pocket" and the right tackle would ride his man around the outside, and thus not be sacked.
That is my opinion anyway.