Changing your mind
 

I did not see the game live, only saw the highlights, but the end of the Cardinals - Rams game, didn't make the officials look to good. Once a coach makes up his decision, and unless you gave him a wrong option, he should live with his decision. Alowing him to change his decision, based on what a smarter coach does after his choice does not seem correct. Like I said I didn't see the game, but from the highlights the official looks like a goof.

Which NFL game were you working?

None, I would really look like a goof if I were out there. But that was not the point. Again I didn't see the game, but if the coach was given his options, chose one. That should be his decision. 5 minutes later he shouldn't be allowed to change his mind. I'm assuming, but don't know that he was not given his choices correctly?? Or how long do you give them to change their mind? I've been taught you give them their options, let them make their choice, and enforce it.

Also I really wanted to see someone try a free kick.

If the officials gave the coach the wrong information, then I see nothing wrong with correcting that mistake. I was not in the huddle of the officials and I have no idea why they reversed themselves, but you do not want to end a game if the officials were totally in the wrong. It might not have looked good, but the idea is to get it right when you have time to get it right.

I also do not know NFL rules very well so there could be provisions to do what these officials did.

Peace

Okay...what happened? I didn't see the game or highlights.

I do not know exactly what happen I only saw the highlights. In St. Louis-Arizona game there was a penalty by the receiving team (Arizona) that was accepted on a punt and a fair catch. Without the penalty the game would have ended. The officials first announced that the penalty would be accepted and that Arizona would try a free kick from about 70 yards away (they were on receiving team and called a fair catch) in a 2 point game. Then the officials got together and announced that the penalty would be declined so the game would end.

Peace

Thanks Jeff.

I heard about this play from my principal at school and didn't see the play nor the highlights from the game.

Here is a copy of the email I sent a NFL Europe official with my understanding of the play with his response. His response is at the top:

Yes, there is such an animal as the "fair catch kick" in the NFL. I thought they had the same thing in NF, but I don't know.

If a fair catch is called, the receiving team can extend the quarter for a fair catch kick. That is a place kick (no tee). I think you can drop kick it too, but no one would try that. You can not extend for a scrimmage play here, the only choice if you are receiving team is to extend for the fair catch kick, or the quarter (in this case, the game) is over (if there are no other fouls, such as KCI).

Basically, a fair catch kick is just like a free kick, except that it's a place kick, and that the kick can score points. You have restraining lines (called fair catch kick lines) 10 yards apart, just like on a free kick. But you can not kick an onside kick, unless the kick is touched by B, the kickers can not legally touch the ball, even if it has gone 10 yards. In this respect, it's more like a scrimmage kick. If you kick it out of bounds, the receivers would get it at the previous spot (spot of kick), so it's like a weird mix of a free- and a scrimmage kick.

On a fair catch kick, if I remember correctly, I line up in my normal position, on B's goal line (LJ).

In this situation, A could also have the penalty enforced from the dead ball spot, but that would give B the FC kick option, so obviously, in this situation, that was not a realistic option.




<HR id=EC_stopSpelling>
Subject: NFL rules ?
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2006 11:17:08 -0500

Hey,
Apparently there was some fun at the end of the Arizona Cardinals game yesterday. here is the situation as best as I understand.
Time winding down in the 4th quarter, St. Louis punts the ball to Arizona. At the snap, Arizona is off sides. Arizona then calls for a fair catch. Clock expires with the ball in the air. Now this is where I'm not quite sure I understand everything. St. Louis tries to decline the penalty, but that would've allowed Arizona a free kick to win the game. So St. Louis accepts the penalty, takes the snap and kneels down to end the game.

Is this an NFL rule? Or I might be missing something here. My principal at school asked me about it and I thought I would ask an expert!

just curious,
Thank you, sir!

The problem was that St Louis decided to decline the penalty. The referee made the announcement that the penalty would be declined and said Arizona elected to Free kick from it's 30 yd line. After hearing all this, St louis decided to accept the penalty and kick again.

I thought you had to take a timeout to change your mind on a penalty decision? St Louis didn't have any left so I thought for sure they'd be stuck with the decision they made. Guess not!:eek:

One guess I would make is that the R may have told the captain that declining the penalty would end the game, forgetting about the free kick after fair catch option extending the game.

After making a mistake like that I would go back and fully inform the captain so he could make the right choice.