[SamG]

Speaking as a fan, I don't understand what happened Saturday night during a game...

4th down. K team punts the ball and it trails OOB ~R25 yard line. Flag gets thrown ~R35. WH comes out and this is his announced explanation...

"Delay, receiving team, sideline warning. 1st down" (the 1st is for the receiving team).

Now, it is possible some of R's offense might have come onto the field a second or so before the whistle... they were definitely in the "coaches box" if not on the field, so we understood the sideline warning. When we saw the flag we thought a coach said something to an official. What could cause a "delay" penalty DURING play?