If you happened to see the Giants-Eagles game yesterday in the first quarter Donovan McNabb ran to his left and threw a complete pass. The graphic on the TV flashed "FLAG" but then went off.

The Giants also noticed that an official had removed and started to toss his flag but then placed it back in his pocket. The Giants challenged the spot where the ball was thrown.

Referee Johnny Grier after the replay found McNabb had thrown the ball from the the Eagles 44 and the LOS was the Eagles 42.

Good lesson here. Be decisive on tossing that flag.

That's why we wear a flag in the front, tucked in the waistband. If you reach for the flag, and don't throw it, then you can just tug on your britches and act like you are pulling them up.

They official in that game did have his flag in his waistband. The video shows the flag completely out and then he started tucking it back in.

My thought was the official in the fast moving game was not totally aware of his location and changed his mind on the legality of the pass.

Know in our mechanics a wing who thinks the pass may be thrown over the LOS should toss a bean bag and then determine later if the foul was committed.

You folks are living the good life if you've got the wing available to make that call. :D With four men on the field up here, the wings are long gone, and it falls to the U (or maybe the R).

I don't know NFL mechanics---
but I'm guessing he should have tossed it
and waved it off if he was wrong !!
Looked bad the way they did it, and
the R, Johnny Greer, did not look happy
about it !

I'm pretty sure in NFL mechanics the HL stays on the line until a pass crosses the line of scrimmage to rule on these types of calls.

I've noticed that unlike in NFHS mechanics, the Umpire doesn't move up to the line when a pass play develops.

Greer and a few others should not be happy with the way things went first week, especially that whole Denver/KC game mess at the half. U should be biting the bullet on that one as he should have know the distance was not marked.

In the NFL, the LJ holds the LOS until the ball crosses. The HL releases 5 yds downfield when he reads pass.