MNF Titans/Ravens

[mnref]

I am just curious to get your guys' opinion of the last few seconds of last night's MNF game. I thought the Kukar crew handled the offsides correctly (dead ball foul). If we could only let Al Michaels know that illegal formation doesn't occur until the ball is snapped and thus, never occurred because of the dead ball offsides.

BTW - That was the fastest I've seen any umpire move in a long time when he spotted that ball!!!

What did you guys think??

[ddhawk]

I think they were correct that it was a dead ball foul, but when Bernie Kukar said they would have an untimed down and extend the period, that was incorrect. By definition to have a dead ball foul at that time there must have been time left on the clock, so the procedure should have been to assess the penalty, and wind the clock on the ready. However, I think that I would have used the rule that allows me to start the clock on the snap if the foul is by the team ahead in the score, (I don't have my rulebook with me - it's in Rule 3 someplace - NCAA)

I believe that it all came out the same, i.e. the correct outcome. But he should have known that it was not an extension because the foul occurred prior to the clock expiring.

Dennis Donovan

[Zeke5]

Agreed that this should not have been an extension of the period. He should have put a few seconds back on the clock and start it up on the snap.

Clocks starts on the snap after any accepted foul in the last 2 minutes of either half (NFL of course).