Ravens / Steelers was the spot ok
 

Hi guys:

I am from the baseball side but would like clarification from last nights Ravens / Steelers game.

The reason I am curious is because of what Al Michaels said about the ruling. On the baseball side we get 'all over" McCarver whenever he says something that we know is simply not true so that's my main reason for asking.

The play happened at the end of the game. It was 3rd and something and Flacco got sacked and fumbled the ball forward where the Ravens recovered it. The Ravens quickly got their field goal team onto the field and attempted a game ending 55/56 yard field goal that fell short.

After commercial, Michaels said that there would have been "hell to pay" had that field goal been good because in the last 2 minutes of the game if the ball is fumbled forward and recovered by anyone other then one who fumbled the ball then the ball is to be placed back where the fumble began, hence the field goal would have been some 59 or 60 yards.

Is this correct?

Thanks guys

Pete Booth

I know that is true on any fumble that goes out of bounds. Not sure if it applies in this case but that does sound familiar. They were trying to get it spotted quickly because of the time remaining on the clock so the only way to correct it would have been to stop the clock and re-spot it or re-spot it without stopping the clock which would have likely ended the game with no kick attempt.

That's the good ole Stabler Holy Roller Rule. I heard a lot of babbling on the t.v. but didn't really pay attention to the spot. Guess its something Rich can address with Mike P. on Official Review this Wed. night.

I agree. In the moment, they did their best to get the ball spotted for the next play.

Just a general observation, but anytime you change your pace, specifically to accomodate either team, you automatically provide an unearned advantage to one team which is invariably an unearned disadvantage to the other team.

If the pace is steady and the clock runs out, the clock runs out. Neither team was given an advantage nor suffered from a disadvantage.

8-7-6

Article 6 Fumble After Two-Minute Warning. If a fumble by either team occurs after
the two-minute warning:
(a) The ball may be advanced by any opponent.
(b) The player who fumbled is the only player of his team who is permitted to recover
and advance the ball.
(c) If the recovery or catch is by a teammate of the player who fumbled, the ball is dead,
and the spot of the next snap is the spot of the fumble, or the spot of the recovery
if the spot of the recovery is behind the spot of the fumble.

So is there any rule similar to this in NFHS? I had a coach ask that during a JV game where, on a 3rd and 1, the QB fumbled the snap and the ball bounced forward back through the center's legs then the QB dove on it past the LTG, 1st down. We have anything? It wasn't on purpose so I think not.

I don't think this should be penalized because there's no way any coach is stupid enough to fumble a ball on purpose. But I seem to remember that the act of throwing the ball forward out-of-bounds to either gain yardage or stop the clock is a foul. True? Reference?

No fumble recovery restrictions exist under the NFHS code.

Throwing a forward pass incomplete deliberately to save either time or yardage is an Illegal forward Pass NF: 7-52-a through e.

Thanks. What about throwing the ball backward OB? Simply wind it and spot where it went out?

There is no penalty for throwing a backward pass OB.

With a 40 second clock, the goal is to spot the ball ASAP since we have no RFP whistle.

I can see you point for NFHS rules, not NCAA or NFL.

To add on, NCAA has a fourth down fumble rule similar to the NFL under 2 rule.

Respectfully-I disagree with this premise. I believe there is an expectation that, in a hurry up situation at the end of a half/game, we will get the ball placed and made ready for play as soon as all officials are in a position to officiate.
Falls in the "We'd do the same for you Coach" file

No, of course not. Does the clock run or stop though?

It is fumble out of bounds. Clock stops and starts on the snap unless we are in NCAA outside 2 minutes of the half.