You definitely don't have an inadvertent whistle. It's a judgment and safety issue and the covering official can blow it dead or let it go a bit longer. I actually saw this in an NFL game Friday night (Ram's vs. Chiefs). The player picked up a fumble which he thought was an incomplete pass. He stood there a bit and when he tried to hand it to the ref, it was finally blown dead.
Usually if you stand there awhile, they catch on but, if they don't, you can legally blow it dead and the run ends there.
|