Improper Enforcement of Pass Intereference
 

Somebody with a little more experience than I have, please tell me if the pass interference play at the end of the Clemson-Alabama game was as badly messed up as I thought. The official threw the flag for pass interference at the 1 yard line and the replay clearly showed that is where the pass interference occurred. By the time the Clemson receiver got to the goal line, there was no contact at all be tween the receiver and the Alabama DB with about a yard separation between. Why did the referee call pass interference in the end zone? The correct call should have been pass interference at the 1 yard line as that is where it occurred and the official properly threw his flag spotting the foul at the 1 yard line but the referee called pass interference in the end zone. Isn't the official supposed to throw the flag and mark the spot of the foul? That is what it looked like he did but they made the call as if it occurred in the end zone. That is a really big screw up because had it been pass interference at the 1, wouldn't the penalty be enforced as half the distance to the goal from the previous spot which places the ball out at more like the 5 yard line doesn't it? (I don't remember exactly where the play started from but I think it was out at the 10 or so.)

Under the NCAA code DPI is enforced as a half the distance penalty only when the ball in on or inside the 2 yard line.(unless on a PAT attempt from the 3 yard line). This a direct quote from the NCAA Rule Book. When the ball is snapped on or inside the Team B 17 yard line and outside the Team B 2 yard line and the spot of the foul in on or inside the 2 yard line,the penalty from the previous spot shall place the ball at the 2 yard line, 1st down. So even if it had been ruled the DPI occurred at the 1 yard line since it was inside the 2 yard line ball is placed at the 2 yard line, 1st and goal

As the previous person said, the ball was going to the 2 no matter what. DPI is a spot foul if the foul is fewer than 15 yards from the previous spot or the 2 yard line or a 15 yard penalty. The only time it's half the distance is if the foul is on a play that starts inside the 2.

Yes, I agree the R's reporting was inaccurate, however it had no effect on the spotting of the ball after the foul.

I've seen this posted all over the Internet since the play happened, many times by officials, which just goes to show that people only think that the rule set they're familiar with is the right one.

Or on a try from the 3 yard line.

I was trying not to muddy the waters, so to speak. :D

Spot Clarification
 

Thanks for the clarification on spotting the ball. What I saw just didn't jive with what the referee called when he said pass interference in the end zone. Just one more clarification, is that the proper procedure for the official to throw the yellow flag to mark the spot of the foul or am I just imagining that?

For some fouls -- the ones where the spot is important, yes.

Other flags (dead ball fouls, for example) are typically thrown high in the air.

I saw a flag thrown at the 2 if you look at the pylon cam. There might have been two different flags on this play.

Peace

Yup, flag lands about the 1 1/2. Contact was clearly right at the 1 and not in the end zone.

Same enforcement though.