In the Vikings game yesterday Jerad Allen intercepted a pass and while getting tackled tried to pass it to a teammate but the ball went forward and hit the ground. There was a scrum for the ball and the announcers were speculating who had it under the pile. I knew that was irrelevant. The short wing came up and dropped his flag where Allen threw the ball and then signaled incomplete. The R got on his mic and explained there was a foul for an illegal forward pass and Minnesota would have it 1st and 10 5 yards behind the spot of the pass. He then added the pass was incomplete. I knew the announcers would stumble on that one. After re-explaining what happened, one of them said, "But I don't know why he said the pass was incomplete. Allen clearly caught it and they gave Minnesota the ball."

Holy .....

Yeah, that was Joe Buck. Sometimes I want to reach through my TV screen...

Poor Joe. He spends so much time with McCarver during the baseball season the ignorance rubs off on him...

Disagree to an extent. If a team is trying to run out the clock (nobody is in hurry-up), then keep the same exact pace as you did the whole game.

However, if the O is in hurry-up, get that ball spotted quickly and blown in as soon as your guys are ready.

The way to avoid problems is to, "get that ball spotted quickly and blown in as soon as your guys are ready" throughout the game. That way the pace you've set doesn't require alteration regardless of what either team does.

Altering your pace, to specifically accomodate the preference of one team, is clearly providing that team with a benefit, if the alteration puts the opponent at ANY disadvantage.

ajmc, this topic relates to the NFL. In the last two minutes of a half every effort is made to spot the ball as quickly as possible. When a first down is made and the ball is respotted for the succeeding down, if the down marker has not caught up with the play, the head linesman places his bean bag on the ground at the new line of scrimmage. This allows play to continue without delay. In addition, if the offense gets in position and snaps the ball before all members of the defensive team have taken their proper positions on their side of the line, play is stopped and the defense is penalized for offside. Clock stops and starts on the snap. Does this seem to accomodate the preference of one team? Does it provide that team with a benefit? Does it have the potential to put the opponent at a disadvantage? The answer to each question is yes. But it is the way NFL plays the game. They apparently have no problem with it.

As sometimes happens with these discussions, the topic drifts to areas that most are more familiar with. Apologies to any NFL officials who I may have confused.

Chances are no NFL official was confused by your rhetoric, or, for that matter anyone on officialforum.com