Play of the week

Mike L

secondregionbug wrote
A team has the ball first and goal with 1:50 on the clock to go in the game. The coach tells you that he is going to take a knee and run the clock out. The other team is out of time outs. After the ref tells the players the QB is going to take a knee, he fakes to the FB and runs a sweep to score a TD. How would you handel this?

I would think you should seek the guidance of your association on how they want it handled. What the group here thinks is of little consequence.
It appears they "may" be in favor of announcing such intentions to prevent line play that can only generate ill will and possible injury, at least by the actions of your ref. If that is the case, then I'm sure they also have some idea about what they want you to do if the offense pulls off some BS like this as well.

JugglingReferee

secondregionbug wrote
A team has the ball first and goal with 1:50 on the clock to go in the game. The coach tells you that he is going to take a knee and run the clock out. The other team is out of time outs. After the ref tells the players the QB is going to take a knee, he fakes to the FB and runs a sweep to score a TD. How would you handel this?

CANADIAN RULING:

No touchdown can be scored. Apply penalty from PLS.

JasonTX

What's the point in Team A of even having to snap the ball then? Anything can happen on the last play of the game even on a kneel down. I had a game once where Team A was winning with time running out. Team B was out of timeouts. Team A snapped, B rushed and the QB took a knee. The next play we knee Team A would be taking a knee. The ball was snapped but the QB muffed the ball. Luckily for Team B they weren't playing lightly and they ended up recovering the ball. Imagine if we would have even hinted for Team B to quit playing. Play hard till the clock hits zero no matter what team A says they are going to do. We have to be good enough as officials to be able to react to any nonsense that takes place when and if team A does take a knee.

Niner

If a coach announces he's taking a knee at the end of the game---he GETS a knee if its a clean snap in my game. Had it happen when the head coach announced it and the defense heard him but the O coord. got his wires crossed and called a pitch out from the victory formation.

jjrye22

Our association (Berlin/Brandenburg in Germany) tells everyone very loudly, and we would blow it dead. There are too many problems here in the men's leagues with unsportsmanlike conduct and fights and stuff.
It happened too often here that someone dove on a knee or did something like that at the snap.
I would like to see something in the rulebook about not having to snap when within the possibility of running all the time off.

James

JasonTX

Just remember that the defense isn't the one "giving up". They have every right within the rules to play tough until the clock reads 0:00 and the ball is dead. Telling them to let up or to play soft is taking away their opportunity to get the ball in the event there is a muffed snap. Team A just needs to do what they've been doing all game and that is protecting the QB. In NCAA, if the QB simulates taking a knee (starts down but goes back up) by rule the ball is dead.

Jim D

JasonTX wrote
Suppose they line up and announce that they are going to run a draw play to the running back but instead throw a deep pass for a TD?

I that case, I'd be fine with it since they weren't pretending that they aren't running a play.

mikesears

Our crew doesn't say anything to the defense. We tell the offense to make sure they block, protect themselves, and protect the quarterback because we aren't telling the defense. This has worked for us.

I'm with those who say that we can't expect the defense to simply let up so we tell the offense not to let up.

Robert Goodman

secondregionbug wrote
A team has the ball first and goal with 1:50 on the clock to go in the game. The coach tells you that he is going to take a knee and run the clock out. The other team is out of time outs. After the ref tells the players the QB is going to take a knee, he fakes to the FB and runs a sweep to score a TD. How would you handel this?

In NCAA rules, the ball would be dead before the QB could fake to the FB. (Or does the captain have to make the declaration of "taking a knee"?)

Maybe someone can tell us if Fed has "take a knee" in its rule book yet.

Robert

Bob M.

Robert Goodman wrote
In NCAA rules, the ball would be dead before the QB could fake to the FB. (Or does the captain have to make the declaration of "taking a knee"?)

Maybe someone can tell us if Fed has "take a knee" in its rule book yet.

Robert

REPLY: Declaration has nothing at all to do with it. In NCAA rules, telling the R that he's taking a knee doesn't obligate the QB to do so, and the only way the ball becomes dead is if he (a) does take a knee, or (b) simulates placing a knee on the ground. So in the play posted by secondregionbug, the ball would not be dead before the fake to the FB--unless the QB faked placing his knee to the ground. (Need a better reason to not go announcing that he's taking a knee?)

And in Fed, there is no "taking a knee" rule. Unless the guy touches knee to turf, the ball remains alive.