Quote:
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Originally Posted by Forksref
Coach: "Hey ref, that foul happened before the ball was dead."
Official: "I know, but I was told that there would be a big swing in penalty on a small difference in judgment so I decided that the foul occurred after the ball was dead. That OK with you?"
Coach: "Sure, go ahead and change it."
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I'm not saying you should
change it. If you and the coach and everyone for miles around could
see that it was before the ball was dead, then you'd be erasing history. But when the ball and the foul are separated by a lot, that's not often going to be the case on a gratuitous hit (except in some instances where there's already a separate provision, such as roughing the passer).
If the coach says the hit was before the whistle, you could remind him that except in case of an inadvertent whistle, the ball always becomes dead before the whistle. We acknowledge that in cases where a hit comes
close to the ball (so that a hit doesn't have to be after the whistle to be a "late" hit), so it should be kept in mind when a cheap shot occurs far from the ball.
If you're seeing unnecessary roughness, and then your eyes are still on that scene watching out for the retaliation that might follow, I'd say you'd have a tough time also seeing the ball become dead near the opposite sideline or well downfield. If someone who happens to have a better view and no responsibility sees that in some case you got it wrong and it was a live ball foul, you have a good excuse.
BTW, this is also why the Canadian PBH ("point ball held") can be a difficult spot to administer for penalty enforcement.
Robert