Quote:
Originally Posted by Welpe
Robert, the language of the rule is not as complicated as you make it out to be.
Read it again, it is very straight forward.
Quote:
PENALTY:
... Roughing passer (Art. 4) – (S34) – 15 yards and a first down from end of last run when last run ends beyond the neutral zone and there has been no change of team possession, or otherwise 15 yards and first down from previous spot.
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There are two conditions that must be met in order for there to be enforcement from the end of the last run. The run must end beyond the neutral zone AND there must not have been a change of team possession.
BOTH of these conditions must be met. |
Met
when? You're reading it as meaning those conditions must be met at the time of the presentation of the penalty choice, which means both conditions obtained
throughout the down. I'm reading it "last run ends beyond the neutral zone and there has been no change of team possession" as obtaining at an instant during that down. So if the last run ends beyond the neutral zone and
at that instant there has been no change of team possession during that down, then the requisites are satisfied.
To read it your way would mean that a change of possession following the end of the run would affect the spot of enforcement, which is downright silly. It wouldn't change the spot for an ordinary foul by the defense, so why would it affect RTP?
Just read in isolation "when last run ends beyond the neutral zone and there has been no change of team possession" and it should be clear that "when" refers to a point in time. Otherwise they could've written "if". The "and" is subsidiary to the "when", not equal to it. Also, if it "no change in possession" referred to the entire down, they would've written "was", not "has been". "Has been" shows they meant to refer to the condition at the time the last run ended.
Robert