No one saw it!

[Bob M.]

REPLY: I agree with SouthGARef also. If no one saw the runner down in the field of play and all they saw was him in possession of the ball in his opponent's end zone, what else could you do but award a score??

Here’s a similar play that actually occurred in a college game some years ago—1991 I think. This story was presented at the 1995 NASO Summit by Bill Richardson, the Pac-10 referee of the game.

Near the end of the game, UCLA is at USC’s 1-yard line going in for the winning score. On the snap, the QB muffs it. It rolls down his leg where he inadvertently kicks it into USC’s endzone. A mass of humanity ensues. Officials attempt to get to the bottom of the pile. After all but the last two players are pulled off, the umpire reports that there’s no ball at the bottom of the pile?!?! Looking around, R spots a UCLA player, Brian Allen, holding the ball aloft in the back of the end zone dying to celebrate.

What do you do???

Here’s what actually happened: Once the U (Walt Wolfe) could find no ball at the bottom of the pile and they discovered Allen in the back of the endzone, referee Bill Richardson called all seven officials together. They had a player in the back of the endzone with the ball. Richardson wanted to know, “How did he get it?” No one knew. At that point he stepped into the field and signaled TD for UCLA. He announced over the mike, “After searching for the ball, an offensive player was discovered to have it in the end zone. By rule, we have a touchdown.”

That's how he ruled a similar play.

The big question is how could such a thing happen and what could we do to prevent it. waltp sort of hit the nail on the head. In such cases, there’s no need for all officials to attack the pile. If the deep officials (B, F, and S)in this game--obviously a 7-man game--had stayed back they probably would have seen the ball come out of the pile in Allen’s possession. Additionally, they could have been watching for any ‘extracurricular’ activity that might occur. Let one (or two at most) officials dig, another stand above the pile to give the signal. The diggers tell the standing official who has the ball and he signals appropriately.

[Edited to address mbyron's observation.]

[mbyron]

Something wasn't right. Then it got fixed.

[Bob M.]

Originally Posted by mbyron

Something's not right here.

REPLY: You're right...I meant that it was a UCLA player holding the ball. I'll edit. Thanks.

[With_Two_Flakes]

I remember being taught at a clinic many years ago by an Umpire name of Brian Balliet (back then in the MAC, now in the NFL) about the "big pile of bodies" goal line situations and that the way to handle it was eye contact.

1st eye contact - between the wing guys. 3 possibilities:- one of them is selling a progress spot, one of them is signalling a score or both have no clue.

2nd eye contact - between the Umpire and the two wing guys. If the Umpire sees both wing guys giving (what Balliet described as) the "Forrest Gump" stare back at him, then he knows they got nothin' and he has to start digging for the ball.

Seeing the Ump digging will trigger the Referee to close up to the pile so the Ref can signal the score if the Ump declares the ball is over the goal line. Looks bush-league for an Ump down on his knees to signal.

This mechanic has saved my crew at least half a dozen times in the last 15 years.