Arkansas/VT punt fumble...

[Robert Goodman]

Is video replay the only possible exception to 4-1-2b.2 or 3? Say a receiver signals legally for a legal fair catch, and an official blows a whistle shortly before the receiver actually does catch the ball, in a game where no video is available. Could you make an equitable ruling that the whistle could neither have contributed to nor prevented the catch at that spot? And take away the kicking team's option to repeat the down, and if there was a foul during the kick apply post-kick enforcement provisions? In effect proceed as if the whistle sounded after the catch?

BTW, as I look at the video, I see no good clear case for the receiving team player's having gained possession soon enough that ruling recovery wouldn't violate the spirit of the IW provisions. I can't be sure that hearing the whistle didn't affect the players' actions, and the last thing you want is for players to not respect the whistle. I could call it "immediately continuing action" if there weren't an opposing player's hands so close to the ball at the time of the whistle. It may also be that #36 would've overrun the ball if he hadn't started slowing down in rxn to the whistle!