[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by OverAndBack

In a subvarsity game. If the guy's maybe a step from the sideline and can't have a bearing on the play.

The bigger question is how did the wing who's nine feet away from the player running off the field not at least see him out of his peripheral vision? Or if he did, he didn't make the call (I know, he has responsibility for the LOS at that point, but you should be able to see a 12th guy running off the field, sprinting towards you, especially if NY probably would have had to broken the huddle with 12 - maybe not, in all the substituting on a punt play).

Actually that is not entirely correct. The short wing is not mainly responsible for defensive players as the deep wing is in 7 man mechanics. The short wing might not even be focused on the defense in that situation. This would have been better for a deep wing to be focused on and when the ball was snapped might have been difficult to tell from their point of view if the player was off the field. I am sure the officials passed on this because they knew the rule, were not sure and did not want to make a call they were guessing on. Even in a 5 man game the back judge might have been in a better position to actually make this call. In 7 man the deep wings count the defense and would focus more on this player.

Peace