Illegal Forward Pass Ruling in SD-PIT Game

[SportsFan]

Also, it says "dead ball declared at SD 26 for 5 yards," which seems to indicate that the ball would be dead even if the penalty was declined.

[markmanxp]

According to our friends at profootball.com the ref made a mistake.

ProFootballTalk.com - REFEREE ADMITS ERROR AT END OF CHARGERS-STEELERS GAME

“The rule was misinterpreted,” Green said. “We should have let the play go through in the end, yes. It was misinterpreted that instead of killing the play we should have let the play go through.”

[SportsFan]

Originally Posted by markmanxp

According to our friends at profootball.com the ref made a mistake.

ProFootballTalk.com - REFEREE ADMITS ERROR AT END OF CHARGERS-STEELERS GAME

“The rule was misinterpreted,” Green said. “We should have let the play go through in the end, yes. It was misinterpreted that instead of killing the play we should have let the play go through.”

I don't see how he can claim the rule was misinterpreted. His crew simply remembered the play incorrectly. The illegal forward pass was caught, and they thought it wasn't. But it's good to see him take responsibility, even though it appeared to be his crew who talked him into making the wrong ruling. He had it right at first.

[b10mtrk]

Disclaimer: Football official with no NFL rules experience - discussion is based on football fundamentals

1) Play continues on a completed illegal forward pass
2) While a backward pass appears to be treated as a fumble there is a distinct difference; a fumble is an involuntary loss of player possession while a backward pass is a voluntary loss of player possession - two distinct occurrences and treated differently
3) The result of the play was a TD for Pittsburgh
4) Acceptance of the penalty requires an untimed down for SD (Quarter/Half may not end with an accepted penalty)
5) Declining the penalty forces the result of the play to stand (Pgh would surely decline the IFP penalty for the TD)
6) The Point After Touhdown (PAT) is an untimed down that must be completed
7) Replay Official/Referee/Crew choked
8) Score 17/18 Pittsburgh - 10 SD
9) None of these seven officials will work play-off or super bowl games this season
10) Reliance on the rules knowledge of announcers is - at best - foolhardy Example: lateral - no such definition in any football rules manual

[SportsFan]

Originally Posted by b10mtrk

Disclaimer: Football official with no NFL rules experience - discussion is based on football fundamentals

1) Play continues on a completed illegal forward pass
2) The result of the play was a TD for Pittsburgh
3) Acceptance of the penalty requires an untimed down for SD (Quarter/Half may not end with an accepted penalty)
4) Declining the penalty forces the result of the play to stand (Pgh would surely decline the IFP penalty for the TD)
5) The Point After Touhdown (PAT) is an untimed down that must be completed
6) Replay Official/Referee/Crew choked
7) Score 17/18 Pittsburgh - 10 SD
8) None of these seven officials will work play-off or super bowl games this season

I believe everything you said is correct.

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by b10mtrk

Disclaimer: Football official with no NFL rules experience - discussion is based on football fundamentals

2) While a backward pass appears to be treated as a fumble there is a distinct difference; a fumble is an involuntary loss of player possession while a backward pass is a voluntary loss of player possession - two distinct occurrences and treated differently

How are they treated differently?

4) Acceptance of the penalty requires an untimed down for SD (Quarter/Half may not end with an accepted penalty)

Not true, at least not under FED rules. There will be no untimed down if the penalty includes a loss of down provision.

6) The Point After Touhdown (PAT) is an untimed down that must be completed

Again, not true under FED.

10) Reliance on the rules knowledge of announcers is - at best - foolhardy Example: lateral - no such definition in any football rules manual

Because, as a wise man once said, "Announcers are idiots."

[SportsFan]

Under NFL rules, I believe the PAT would still have been attempted. At least, they were lining up for it.

[b10mtrk]

In response to waltjp (NFL disclaimer still on notice)

2) Backward pass/Fumble - National Federation (NF) has no restrictions on the recovering team advancing either, I believe the NFL has some restrictions regarding advancing fumbles in some situations - I am unaware of any NFL restrictions on advancing recovered backward passes.

4) Correct (NF) - Loss of Down (LOD) penalties negate an untimed down requirement for last play of quarter/half. However; I am unsure if IFP is an NFL LOD penalty. Good point

6) Correct in part (NF rules) - individual state associations can, and do, require PATs on game ending TDs. Pennsylvania so requires because Gardner Points are used as tie breakers for play-off spots and other states do as well.

SO - some folks with rule knowledge actually pay attention - this is good

Kudos to walt - keep posters honest

[mv7267]

The officials blew it and admitted it.

The first "lateral" was ruled the illegal forward pass. For some reason, the crew declared the play dead at that point. The IFP was caught by the offense and advanced followed by the backwards pass that was fumbled, recovered by the defense and advanced for the score. Not sure where the confusion comes from, if they thought the IFP touched the ground or if an IFP becomes dead immediately?

[OhioReferee]

I wonder how much hate mail Scott Green is going to get from people who picked Pittsburgh in the spread. Wasn't 4.5 or 5? On an illegal forward pass if completed you throw a flag and let they play continue. If went incomplete you would blow it dead right? It would 5 yards and loss of down.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by b10mtrk

4) Acceptance of the penalty requires an untimed down for SD (Quarter/Half may not end with an accepted penalty)

So, if SD had scored a TD on the last play but was flagged for holding and Pittsburgh accepted then SD would have gotten an untimed down?

I thought that rule (at least in the NFL) only applied to defensive penalties.

[golfnref]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

So, if SD had scored a TD on the last play but was flagged for holding and Pittsburgh accepted then SD would have gotten an untimed down?

I thought that rule (at least in the NFL) only applied to defensive penalties.

NFL Rule: Rule 4, Section 3, Article 11- If at the end of any period, time expires while the ball is in play, time is not called until the down ends. (c) If there is a foul by the offense, there shall be no extension of the period. If the foul occurs on the last play of the half, no score made by the offense is counted.