Bean Bag
 

Does anyone know why NFL Officials bean bag an interception?

Under NHFS rules, I was taught that there is no reason to do this. I assume the NFL has different penalty enforcement procedures for certain fouls but I did know the specifics. Any ideas?

Under NFHS and NCAA there is no reason to bag an interception because it is not an enforcement spot. I am pretty sure that it can be an enforcement spot under their rules.

I think that it is a crazy scenario for it to be one but it is one none the less.

Believe the bean bag on an interception in the NFL is simply for statistical purposes. Also, you will see the drive start marker in NFL.

No idea on the NFL reason, but it does remind me of a situation last week in a youth game.

B66 makes an interception. As he begins returing it, I see a beanbag come flying out to the spot of the interception, thrown by the referee. I was a little confused, but a few seconds later, I realized why he did it, and why I should have had a bean bag.

In our youth league, players must be below a certain weight to be legal ball carriers. This is represented by a helmet sticker. If he did not have a sticker, we would have come back to the spot where he gained possession. Most of the time, it's obvious the kid is a legal runner, but this was a pretty good sized boy.

Fortunately, he was legal.

Under most NCAA mechanics, we do bean bag an interception inside the 5 yard line for the momentum rule. Could this have been what happened in the NFL game referenced?

I found this in the NFL Rulebook under Safety

11-5-1 Exception (c)

If a player of the team which intercepts, catches, or recovers the ball commits a foul in the field of play, and the ball becomes dead in the end zone, the basic spot is the spot of the change of possession.

That being said, a lot of messed up things would have to happen for a ball to be picked-off at the 50 to become dead in the intercepting team's end zone and have a foul on the same play

I'm fairly certain I saw this in the PIT/SD game last year. If there are offsetting fouls after the interception, the ball is brought back to the spot of the interception. I'm not positive though.

I get annoyed at unnecessary bean bags...but not as annoyed as I get at necessary but absent bean bags.

I worked with a top ranked crew this year for one game, they've done state championships 2 of the last 5 years. I was HL, interception in the flat 5 yards in front of me and the BJ threw a bean bag 40 yards to spot the interception, I asked him why, and he said, "Because thats what they (pointing towards the bleachers) expect to see."

I still don't bag interceptions, or fumbles behind the LOS. I only bag spots we might need, which include end of kick and backward passes beyond the LOS. (it might confuse fans when I throw a bean bag on a hook-and-ladder play, but if we need an end of run spot for that play, we've got it.)

Pittsburg-Denver on the Pit fumble Referee Don Carey bagged the spot where possession was gained that was different from the spot where possession was lost.

The bean bag is an enforcement spot for penalties after the interception.

I never bean bag fumbles obviously behind the line. Almost always, I think to myself, "I should bean bag those just to be in the habit for when the fumble isn't behind the line." But I never do. But, I don't miss bean bags in other situations. So, I guess I don't need the practice, after all.

I'm sure it's going to hurt perception of me in my association. But I can't seem to make myself do it. Once, I had K recover a scrimmage kick touched by R. No bean bag, obviously. The white hat told me I should throw one there. I said we didn't need it as an enforcement spot. He said, "No, but it lets everyone know that R touched that ball." Later in the game, the same situation occurred. K had recovered the ball before I remembered to get out my bean bag.

What would you do on a play like Cal-Stanford or Trinity-Millsaps? Bean bag, bean bag, hat, then...?

We had a play like that this year and I think we had a couple bean bags down but we definitely didn't get all the fumbles or backward passes (there were probably 6 or 7 on the play). The ball was loose for such a short period of time that it's not likely a foul occurred precisely when the ball was no in a player's possession. If there was a flag, I would assume it took place behind the basic spot and enforce it from the spot of the foul. They are such screwy plays that anything you do will come out screwy. Bag them all if you can but there are many other things to worry about in my opinion (especially since I've now experienced one that got screwy).

Loose change, condom, car keys, belt, in that order.

Finger whistle, neck whistle, left shoe, right shoe, left sock, right sock, shirt, pants ... :)

The very first scrimmage I worked as a back judge, we had an interception. I threw my bean bag and hit the spot perfectly from about 20 yards away, and followed the play like I should. I was really proud that I knew what to do, until the veteran BJ asked me why I threw the bean bag and told me we don't need to do that down at this level.. :)

Thank you, jaybird. That is very helpful.

John

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Jay-
I believe you but what rule number is it? 2010 Playing Rules please!!!

Also, do you bean bag the end of a Free kick for the same reason???

Thanks

Kevin

I believe this is incorrect.

Rule 14, Section 3

Article 3 If a double foul occurs after a change in possession, the team in possession retains the ball at the spot where the team in possession’s foul occurred so long as that spot is not in advance of the dead ball spot. In that event, ball is spotted at dead ball spot.

(a) If this spot is normally a touchback, the ball is placed on the 20-yard line.
(b) If normally a safety, place the ball on 1-yard line.
(c) This enforcement also applies if one of the fouls is a post-possession foul.
(d) If there is a subsequent change of possession (e.g., fumble recovery) after the double foul, and the foul by the team in possession is in advance of the spot of the fumble, the ball is put in play by the fumbling team at the spot of the fumble.
(e) If the foul by the team in possession is a dead ball foul, the ball is put in play at the dead ball spot.


Now if there's an unsportsmanlike penalty or personal foul on the offense prior to an interception, and the intercepting team loses possession prior to the end of the down, then the penalty is enforced from the spot of the interception.

Rule 8, Section 6

Article 3 Personal Foul or Unsportsmanlike Foul by Offense Prior to Change of Possession.

When the offense commits a personal foul or unsportsmanlike foul prior
to an interception, or the recovery by the defense of a backward pass or fumble, a 15-yard penalty will be enforced from the dead-ball spot.

Exception: If the intercepting or recovering team loses possession after the interception or recovery, enforcement is from the spot where the interception or recovery occurred, and the ball will be retained by the intercepting or recovering team after the enforcement for the personal foul.

Note: When the dead-ball spot is normally a touchback, enforcement is from the 20-yard line.