Iowa-Texas Penalty

[bisonlj]

I was watching the Iowa-Texas game when Iowa had a 2nd and goal from the Texas 9 yard line late in the first half leading 14-3. I saw the TE lined up as a wing back on the left side and then go in motion. When he got to the right side of the line, he stepped forward and clearly established himself as a lineman. I thought that was odd since I was pretty sure he had been lined up in the backfield on the other side. I assumed maybe the wing receiver on the right side stepped back to be off the line.

The QB rolled right bringing everyone with him. He then turned and threw back to a wide open receiver in the end zone. Guess what...it was the tight end who turned out to be covered up. Either he was supposed to be off the line or the wing was supposed to step back. Replays clearly showed it was the right call...no question about it.

Iowa threw an interception on the next play and Texas marched down to score a TD right before the half. They just scored again to go ahead 20-14 midway through the third quarter. The play obviously had a huge impact on the game. I assumed the call would be discussed on the Iowa discussion boards and I was correct.

They are definitely seeing the play through Hawkeye colored eyes. They claim it was a ticky tack call that never gets called. I tried to post a message indicating it was an easy call, the correct call, and would be called every time. I enjoyed the innocent ignorance of the fans:

"The line was at the 9 , chandlers feet were at the 11. How the HELL is that on the line?"

"He's in a TE stance, he's #87 (it's not like he's an eligible tackle), and he IS a bit off the line."

"I hate that refs have to decide games on arbitrary calls that technically are penalties, but for the most part are never called."

"TECHNICALLY, he was not as far off the line as receivers usually are. But I believe he WAS a bit off the line. He was in a TE-style stance, not an O-line stance."

I was not able to post since I don't have an account on that site but I believe I've seen some Iowa people on this board. Would one of you please post an intelligent comment on the Iowa board so they can feel better about losing control of the game. Someone posted the announcers indicated it was the correct call but someone correctly stated the announcers are not experts on officiating. They did have an official in the booth however who correctly pointed out it was a correct call.

[JugglingReferee]

I saw the play. The correct call was made.

The thing about this type of call is that the other team correctly formed their offense not to commit this foul. It would not be consistent to allow an illegal act to go without a flag thrown.

Good on the officials, an oopsie on the players. It's their own fault.

[Mark Dexter]

Originally Posted by Iowan Fanboy

"I hate that refs have to decide games on arbitrary calls that technically are penalties, but for the most part are never called."

I flag this every time I see it in any game that I officiate.

[BoBo]

I threw something up there tonight. As a Sooner fan tough sitting in the bars today, hate the hawks and the horns. but it will be quieter in these parts since the hawks lost.

[bisonlj]

There were several people who eventually posted comments defending the correct call. Someone tried to post an exerpt from the rule book but only posted the definition for players on the line of scrimmage. They didn't include sections defining eligible receivers or backs. Anyone who posts that was a judgement call that rarely gets called is definitely not knowledgeable about the rules. That's one of the easier calls for a wing official and gets called every time.

[BktBallRef]

I responded. I'm sure I'll ge slammed!

[RoyGardner]

While there is some judgement on virtually all calls, this one is easy. This one is a simple "daylight" call. If you're looking down the line and don't see "daylight" between the receiver "in the backfield" and the back end (excluding legs and feet) of the players who are legally on the line, then he's not in the backfield. As we know he's also not legally on the line (head must be breaking the line thru snapper's waist for that).

On this play IMO the receiver was in "no man's land", but regardless, he was not in the backfield, and the call was clearly correct.

I don't believe that many non-officials understand the interplay of the 3 sections of the rules defining who's on the line and who's in the backfield. Most think that if you're not on the line then you have to be in the backfield, and that's just not the case. They don't understand the no-man's land area where you're neither on the line or in the backfield.

[TXMike]

Looks like Ferentz has seen the light -
From a news report:
Coach Mack Brown said that Chandler being covered up is the reason he was so open.

“When a guy’s covered up, you don’t cover him,” said Brown.

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz wasn’t so sure that Chandler was completely on the line.

“I didn’t agree with the call, but it was a close call. It was a mistake we made,” said Ferentz, who also added: “The officiating crew did an outstanding job.”
================================================== =

and from HawkCentral.com

Controversial call proved pivotal
By Andy Hamilton
Iowa City Press-Citizen

SAN ANTONIO -- The Iowa football team started 2005 by debating the validity of a controversial alignment penalty.

The Hawkeyes ended the year the same way.

Saturday's Alamo Bowl started to turn in the favor of the Texas Longhorns when a penalty negated an Iowa touchdown that could've put the Hawkeyes ahead 21-3 late in the second quarter. Instead of celebrating a 9-yard pass from Drew Tate to Scott Chandler, the Hawkeyes were left wondering if Chandler really was lined up illegally and how the game would've turned out had the penalty not been called.

"It goes from putting us up 21-3 to 14-10 at the half," Chandler said. "That was probably one of the biggest plays of the game."

The Longhorns rallied for a 26-24 victory.

The penalty on Chandler was magnified when Aaron Ross intercepted Tate's next pass in the end zone, and the Longhorns then drove 80 yards for a touchdown.

Chandler came in motion to the right on the play in question, and an official ruled he line up on the line of scrimmage.

"Usually, when I come across, we're not going on a silent count, but because we were going with a silent count the timing's not exactly what it usually is," he said. "(The official) said when I was sitting there I jumped forward and reset on the line of scrimmage."

Since the Hawkeyes had an outside receiver already on the line, Chandler was prevented from going downfield. He ran all the way back across the formation and Tate found the tight end wide open.

"I thought it was a terrible call," Tate said. "There was no way he was up on the line of scrimmage. But we got screwed last year in the bowl and figured why not do it again? Those refs, maybe they saw something different. But I don't understand how it can't be reviewed."

Alignment calls are not reviewable. But Chandler said he asked the official about the penalty later in the game.

"He said, 'It was kind of ticky tack, but I had to call it,'" Chandler said. "He said he saw it on the replay and he was sure he was right."

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said he had "no gripe" with the call afterward.

"We didn't agree with the interpretation (at the time), but at halftime a couple of our guys upstairs saw it on replay and thought it was certainly a callable violation," Ferentz said. "It was a mistake we made on alignment and we took points off the board there.

"I'll just say this, too: I thought the officiating crew did an outstanding job. It was a very well-officiated ballgame. That's good to know that wasn't a factor in the ballgame."

[Theisey]

The receiver wasn't in no-man's land (i.e. a mugwump), he was on the line but covered up by the outside wide receiver.

Only the offensive coordinator knows for sure which one was in the incorrect position, but it would be my guess the wide guy failed to lineup correctly. I'm sure we've all seen this in our games.

Don't understand the officials comment about it being a ticky-tacky call. It's no more ticky than when the offense lines up with only 6-men on the line and that gets flagged without hesitation.

[TXMike]

Absolutely right, he was not a mugwump, he was on the line all the way.

The player himself has admitted he lined up wrong and blamed it on the fact they were using a "silent count" so his "timing" was off.

And do any of us truly think an official told the player it was a "ticky tack call"???

[Toadman15241]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the announcers in the game. At the start of the second half they had an ex-NCAA official come in the booth and explain why the correct call was made. Further, they did a great job explaining the correct mechanic for when the 25 sec. clock is not working. I was in shock.

[TXMike]

That was actually an active official, Roger Gaskamp, Southland and Big XII conferences.

I would not be surprised if Spielman, one of the heads, got tons of mail/email last year as he was merciless on the officials all during the bowl season. He probably realized he had made an arse of himself and intended to do better this year. Those cards and letters might be working, keep 'em coming.

I'd still like to know if the B was waiting till 5 seconds were left before signalling or he used the CCA mechanic and did it at 10 seconds.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by Toadman15241

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the announcers in the game. At the start of the second half they had an ex-NCAA official come in the booth and explain why the correct call was made. Further, they did a great job explaining the correct mechanic for when the 25 sec. clock is not working. I was in shock.

My understanding is that all bowl games had an active NCAA official in the booth as a technical adviser to explain such things. A friend of mine, an ACC referee, worked the position at the Insight Bowl in Tempe.

[TXMike]

It certainly was not all games last season. Unknown if it is this season or not. There were several games last year that would have been great opportunitites for clarification but there was none.

[BoBo]

got this off the hawkeye board the poster has put in the redlines to show where the players were lined up.

as officials i think we all see this as a no brainer easy call