NFHS Ruling on Penalty at End of Game

[TXMike]

Is this the corrct rulingin NFHS?

From Branfordreview.com (Guilford, CT)

Thanksgiving Day football


After a handful of Branford's losses this season, coach Gary Gravina's quotes were very similar...one big stop or defensive play and the outcome could have been different.


On the final play of the season, against arch rival East Haven, Branford's defense came up with the big defensive play. Jimmy Boyd intercepted a pass in the end zone with no time remaining on the clock to stop the Yellowjackets and preserve a 38-35 win on Thanksgiving morning at the MacVeigh Complex in Branford.

"That was a big play," Gravina said. "We had a few games this year that could have been different if we got a big play or a big stop...that was what we were looking for all year...it came at a perfect time."

The timing couldn't have been any better. Trailing by three points with less than ten seconds on the clock, East Haven was faced with a third-and-goal from the Branford three-yard line. Boyd, a senior, intercepted John Grant's pass in the end zone and ran it back 101 yards for what appeared to be a touchdown.

Both teams were on the field and the game was obviously over, but there were penalty flags all over the field. While Branford celebrated in the end zone, the referees conferred at midfield, picked up the flags and left the field. There was never an official explanation as to what happened on the final play (whether it was a touchdown or not). One of the officials told Branford Athletic Director Jake Palluzzi on his way off the field that it wasn't a touchdown, but no explanation was ever given. It was learned later the officials had called a block in the back against Branford during the return. That negated the touchdown and since the game can end on a penalty against the offense, it was over. At that point, it was only a matter of record keeping as the Hornets improved to 2-7-1 on the season