Inadvertent Whistle--Whats the Call
 

This happened today at my son's football game...

Tie ball game, last play of second half (time expired during this play). On 4th and goal from B's 8 yard line, A throws a pass that is intercepted by B in the endzone. The official immediately blows his whistle and rules a touch back but the defender (B) was never tackled and runs untouched 102 yards for a touchdown. What is the call??

Why did he run 102 yards after the whistle ? Flag him for delay of game. IW is ignored if Team accepts the penalty. replay an untimed down from the 3yl.

If playing under fed rules you will have the dreaded inadvertent whistle.

B has the opportunity to return the ball out of the endzone.

Secondly I am surprised the kids did not stop on the play when the whistle was blown.

With the IW on a loose ball play it will give A the chance for one more play to end the half. Untimed down.

What? He ran 102 yards because he knew he could advance the ball. You do understand that the ball was intercepted and still live when the IW occurred in the endzone? How does team A get the ball back on the 3 yl???

What is the NFHS rule for inadvertent whistle? I thought it was team last in possession has the option of accepting the result of the play when the whistle was blown or replaying the down. In this case Team B was last in possession so they take the result of the play which gives them the ball on the 20-yard line. The half is extended 1-play (untimed down). Do you agree or am I missing something here?

This was an IW on a running play. B (the intercepting team) has the option of replaying the down or taking the result of the play which would be a toucback. If they take the result of the play, the half is over. If there is a flag for delay of game, it would be enforced on the second half kickoff.

But Smiley can the half end on a IW or penalty? It seems to me if you don't give Team B another play, then the refs took one from them. Remember, team B would have scored had it not been for the IW?

Remember, team B would have scored had it not been for the IW?

You will never know if team B would have scored. When the whistle blew, team A players may have stopped. It's not fair to give team B a TD when the whistle may have caused a team A player to stop. IW's are most unfortunate . Also, the team B player should have been stopped by other whistles thereby avoiding a penalty. A gets an untimed down from the 8

Ok. I understand you can't give team B a TD but how does team A get an untimed down? Team B was last in possession when the whistle was blown, shouldn't they get the ball on the 20???

Team B was in possesion of the ball during a running play when the IW occured. They have the option of accepting the play at that spot, or of replaying the down. Rule 4-3-3c
A peoriod must be extended with an untimed down when an IW occurs. Rule 3-3-3c
Therefore, it would be in Team B's best interest to take the play when the IW occured, which results in a touchback, and the perios is extended by an untimed down. Team B's ball 1-10 at their own 20.

Thank you Texoma! I was sure that was the right call. The officials in this game really screwed up. First, the IW. Second, they went straight to overtime without properly addressing the IW. They just told the coaches they made a mistake and were going to over time.

I forgot there was a rule change a few years ago. Any time there is an IW, there will be an untimed down, even if the result of the play is taken. B should have had a play from the 20.

It wasn't loose. B has possession. B has all the options. B can elect to have the ball go back to A and replay the down or they can simply take the results of the play when the whistle blew (a touchback)

B would likely take the touchback and play an untimed down.

[Edited by mikesears on Oct 25th, 2004 at 09:04 AM]

I would have blown the whistle again, louder, if B's player kept running after the first whistle. DeRock - the ball is NOT live after a whistle is blown. If he didn't stop on the 2nd whistle, I'd have definitely given them a DOG.

But in any case, B has the ball, 1st and 10 at the 20 (or 15 after a DOG), for 1 untimed down.

I guess you're right but the kids and coaches watch too much NFL. The coach waved the kid on to keep running to the endzone for two reasons: 1) The coach knew nothing occurred to cause the play to become dead 2) Did not know what the rule was for inadvertent whistle so to be on the safe side keep running until you cross the goal line and wait to see what the call was. The coach knew he was in the drivers seat on the call but the gray area for him was is the result of the play the touchdown or the touch back?? I think in this situation you have to use your better judgement and NOT call a DOG on top of "your" IW. Your IW already killed a live play that could have resulted in a touchdown and you want to take 5 more yards away from them? I'm sure you would take a lot of heat from the coaches, players, and fans behind that and deservingly so.

You say the coach knew nothing occurred to cause the play to become dead? Your not serious are you?
Every coach knows that a whistle signals that play is over!

How many times have you heard one say that "I teach them to play to the whistle".

He does not have to know what the rule is for inadvertent whistle, the officials know and have to explain it to him.

For him to instruct his player to continue his run of 102 yards is going to get a delay call regardless of his stupidy or ignorance of a rule.

I don't know my friend. Seems to me you should be a little more understanding when it was "your stupidity" or incompetence that started the whole thing.

Ah, parents.

I can GUARANTEE you that if the kid ran 102 yards after the whistle, there would be a delay of game penalty, regardless of whether its an inadvertant whistle.

B ball for an untimed down from its 15.

--Rich

I knew you were a coach. I just knew it

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Derock2004

Quote:

I don't know my friend. Seems to me you should be a little more understanding when it was "your stupidity" or incompetence that started the whole thing.

That's BS Derock, and you know it. When the whistle blows, the play is dead. PERIOD. Unfortunately, an IW causes the ball to be dead from time to time. If a player keeps running after a couple of blasts on the whistle, I'm gonna flag it. If you want to talk stupidity, how about the coach for telling the player to keep running even though he knew the play was dead. There's too great of a chance for someone to get hurt in that situation. So if the player got drilled, I bet you'd want a late hit called also. IW's are always unfortunate, but your stupidity doesn't need to make it any worse. There's rules to correct this situation, because it happens. Get over it and move on.

Mr Neil, I was wondering when you would show up. I am not a coach and perhaps to your satisfaction, I am no longer an official. I gave it up two years ago but I still enjoy discussing and following the rules to my beloved sport.

You know Rich, I don't know about that. You never know, the officials might have tried to pretend liek there was no whistle and since everyone noticed, they called the kid back.

That is possible, but he never said that. Here is what he said:

[Edited by Patton on Oct 26th, 2004 at 04:35 PM]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Patton

Quote:

Originally posted by Derock2004 Quote: I don't know my friend. Seems to me you should be a little more understanding when it was "your stupidity" or incompetence that started the whole thing. That's BS Derock, and you know it. When the whistle blows, the play is dead. PERIOD. Unfortunately, an IW causes the ball to be dead from time to time. If a player keeps running after a couple of blasts on the whistle, I'm gonna flag it. If you want to talk stupidity, how about the coach for telling the player to keep running even though he knew the play was dead. There's too great of a chance for someone to get hurt in that situation. So if the player got drilled, I bet you'd want a late hit called also. IW's are always unfortunate, but your stupidity doesn't need to make it any worse. There's rules to correct this situation, because it happens. Get over it and move on.

Why is your IW "unfortunate" but a coach instructing his player to continue running untouched to the endzone "stupidity"? The way I see it you have "two" cases of stupidity on this play and the initial one is what started it all! Look at it this way, if the IW was a flag against the official then we would have off-setting penalties.

Canadian Ruling
 

IW in a team's possesion - ball is dead there. INT in EZ goes to the 20, B 1D/10.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Derock2004

Quote:

Why is your IW "unfortunate" but a coach instructing his player to continue running untouched to the endzone "stupidity"? The way I see it you have "two" cases of stupidity on this play and the initial one is what started it all! Look at it this way, if the IW was a flag against the official then we would have off-setting penalties.

Think of this situation like having a car accident (the IW) and then leaving the scene of the accident (the run to the endzone). The accident happened and several things may have contributed to it (one of which could have been stupidity), but to leave the scene is just plan stupid. My point is, we're all human and do make mistakes. The official clearly made a mistake, but that doesn't make him stupid. The coach instructing the kid to run even though the whistle has blown is not smart coaching. Wouldn't that be the same as telling the players to just ignore those guys with the striped shirts?

You said you officiated. How long? What level? Have you ever had an IW?

Personally, if I hear an IW, (usually sounds like someone shot a bird), then I back it up with my own whistle. Sometimes you see the players and they don't know wether to keep going or to stop. So I always back up an IW with my own and stop the play on the spot.

We had one a couple weeks ago in flag, the ball carrier thought his flags were pulled and called TO, so the WH blew his whistle, then the ball carrier realized he still had his flags, so he runs down the sideline for a TD. Guess what? Your ball where the whistle blew.