Faceguarding - What is this?
 

Need some help. In this clip, does the action warrant a faceguarding call?

http://home.comcast.net/~george.oneal/

I don't think that was faceguarding. The defender made a legitimate attempt to get the ball. Had the closer guy not intercepted, the defender's move would have looked even better.

It looked like pretty darned good defense and an underthrown ball, to me.

What exactly was the flag for? DPI? They wuz robbed!

I think a prudent call on this play would be a no-call. I know in HS there is no such thing as a "catchable pass" but there is no need to call DPI on this play. The ball was WAY underthrown and even the DB closest to the WR in question was turning around to the ball and playing the ball, as best he could considering the ball is 5 yards away.

Also, something else, this is hard considering 5 man we are covering so much ground, but we should try to be stationary when making calls. If you're moving when making a call, your eyes are moving too which makes it harder to see things clearly. JMHO.

Hard to say for sure, but I'm not sure it was flagged. It looked like he threw his bean bag.

Well, considering there's no reason in the world to bag an INT (excepting a momentum play) I never considered it. Looked like a flag in slow-mo to me.

REPLY: No way this should ever be called pass interference. Since the B appeared to throw whatever it was straight up into the air, I can't imagine it was a bean bag. I would assume he was flagging something.

Before we make judgement...... did we see the whole play? I'm not sure I saw enough to definately say there was no DPI. It looks as though to me that the second defender could have been clearing the receiver away from the catch. In my opinion we probably should not have had a penalty but I'm not sure I have seen enough to be 100% sure. Just my opinion......

Based on what I see in the video I would not call this pass interference. The receiver is still running backwards when the defender caught the ball. Now, there may have been intereference before the camera brought the 3 players into view but based on what I can see on camera, I don't think it's face guarding.

I say no. Looking at it by stepping thru pause and play it looks as if the defender turns to fiind the ball at the same time he puts his hand up in the air. That would not be faceguarding.

the official was throwing the flag.

i am suspecting that it is a DPI, but you dont see either the defender or the rec. until the camera turns to them. if it was from prior contact, the official waited to long to throw the flag, IMO, but looking as how the defender had his hand on the rec, this would constitute a DPI penalty if i understand it correctly. there is no way that faceguarding should be called, but it is a judgement call, so hard to say what was going thru the officials mind if he did flag it for faceguarding.

another question comes to mind though. i have heard that there is techniqually no PI until the ball leaves the throwers hand. is this correct? and if it is, who's responsibility is it to see whether the ball has left yet? i would find it hard as a backjudge to watch both the pass and the contact downfield if it was mine.

I was lurking around where this play was originally posted. According to the person posting the play at that site, he stated that the foul was reported as faceguarding.

I like the no-call on this better than I like the flag. If we are playing advantage - disadvantage (sorry basketball guys) then since the ball is intercepted in front of R than where is the disadvantage. In addition, as many have stated, there is a pretty good effort at defense....Defended goes up and the intercepter cuts in front.

Now what happens when the penalty is reported. We basically have a foul-- or alleged foul-- on a player who is not agreived. Over simplifying, just as we dont call a hold away from the ball...should we call a foul on a player one level removed from the action. If the ball goes through, I can probably make a better case for FGing....but even then its a pretty good defensive action.

Regardless of seeing the whole play and given the fact that this thread is titled "faceguarding," I would say the flag is for DPI faceguarding. This shouldn't be called folks. Plus, look at the timing of the flag, it comes out after the ball has been intercepted so there really is no plausable reason the flag came out that late. Well I guess it could be OPI and the B was waiting to see if the ball crossed the LOS, but again, the thread's title gives it away.

BTW- MJT, congrats! 1001 posts. That's quite the accomplishment.

Hadn't noticed. That just shows that I stay up late at nights and work the boards while the wife watches movies. Sure have had fun and learned plenty with you boys though. :)