Inadvertent Whistle While FG Is In Air

[jblowery]

Referee sees that it is short or that the ball is away (like in an extra point) and blows whistle before it crosses goal line. R doesn't have the opportunity to return the scrimmage kick as a result. What is the call on this? I think the kicking team would get choice to replay the down but could this be similar to PSK where we're talking about the receiving instead of kicking team after the ball is kicked? If we don't have a re-kick where is the ball spotted?

[Rich]

Replay the down. The ball's loose after a kick. R eats a lot of deserved crap from the coach.

I read on Twitter there was (locally) an IW on a short FG the was returned for the winning score and time expired on the play. Game went OT and the return team ended up winning.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by jblowery

Referee sees that it is short or that the ball is away (like in an extra point) and blows whistle before it crosses goal line. R doesn't have the opportunity to return the scrimmage kick as a result. What is the call on this?

Did it look like R would've had even a chance or been willing to play the ball? I could see this being an innocent error that had no possible effect on play, and therefore should be ignored, depending on the details.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

Did it look like R would've had even a chance or been willing to play the ball? I could see this being an innocent error that had no possible effect on play, and therefore should be ignored, depending on the details.

The R has no business blowing his whistle on a FG attempt. Unless it's at rest, it's an IW. Nothing more despicable than officials pretending an IW didn't happen.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by Rich

The R has no business blowing his whistle on a FG attempt. Unless it's at rest, it's an IW. Nothing more despicable than officials pretending an IW didn't happen.

Yes, there's something more despicable than that: allowing an IW call to affect play that otherwise wouldn't've been affected. If that ball was out of everyone's reach & crossed the goal line a second after the whistle, what sense would it make to enforce the IW to the letter?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

Yes, there's something more despicable than that: allowing an IW call to affect play that otherwise wouldn't've been affected. If that ball was out of everyone's reach & crossed the goal line a second after the whistle, what sense would it make to enforce the IW to the letter?

The OP said R lost the opportunity to return the kick. So I read it as short of the goal line.

[jblowery]

Yes, short of the goal line. So replay no matter what or option for K? I know they'd want another chance at the FG. Actually it was R that was complaining because when the whistle blew K stopped trying to do anything and R took off with the ball down the sideline making it look like he would have returned it for a TD.