You Make the Call...

[BroKen62]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

Just wondering whether the rest of you hear a radio announcer in your head saying all this when you read this stuff. I do. Anyway...


I can't watch video here, so I'm just going by the description, with some assumptions that could well be wrong. This is an unusual situation that I don't think can be fairly handled by "normal" rules.

When the non-players ran onto the field, I'm assuming that some of them didn't have helmets on, and that all of them thought the ball was dead. That's a dangerous situation for which play should've been whistled dead.
Are you talking about HS rules? Because there is nothing in the HS rule book that gives an official authority to kill a play because a nonplayer comes onto the field without his helmet on. The only thing that even comes close is the rule about the runner.
But it wasn't whistled dead. Yet it could hardly have been considered football from that point on, and I think it should've been retroactively considered dead before the forward pass was thrown.

The bottom line is interference with play by non-players, and an equitable penalty should be administered.
You would probably change your mind if you saw the video, because while the B players did run out onto the field, none of them got into the QB's way, the Receiver's way, or anybody else's way. In fact, once they realized the ball was still alive they all retreated back to the sideline. The time, spot, etc. should be adjusted however the referee thinks equitable. If he thinks a likely score was prevented, it should be awarded. In other words, a pure judgement call. Good luck deciding it, Solomon.i will agree with you here. We have the benefit of a video and ample time to think through all the possibilities, while the crew on the field had to do something right then and there. I hope it never happens to me!

I still believe it was nonplayer USC.

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

When the non-players ran onto the field, I'm assuming that some of them didn't have helmets on, and that all of them thought the ball was dead. That's a dangerous situation for which play should've been whistled dead.

What rule are you using to justify this? The only time you stop the play is when the ball carrier loses his helmet, not any of the other players on the field.

[gtwbam]

Broken62:
I concur with you 100%.
This is definitely a non-player foul
which should be assessed as an USC foul from the succeeding spot.

I'll even go as far to say, you can add another 2 or 3 USC fouls against B for the additional non-players on the field.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by waltjp

What rule are you using to justify this? The only time you stop the play is when the ball carrier loses his helmet, not any of the other players on the field.

I don't know the specific rule, but I believe you are empowered to stop play when a dangerous situation not an ordinary part of the game occurs. In this case it's people entering the field not suited up and thinking the game had ended.

I'm just going by the originally posted description. If, as some viewers are writing, it was just a matter of a few non-players entering a short way into the field briefly without interfering with play and quickly getting off, then it would not be such a dangerous situation.

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

I don't know the specific rule, but I believe you are empowered to stop play when a dangerous situation not an ordinary part of the game occurs. In this case it's people entering the field not suited up and thinking the game had ended.

I'm just going by the originally posted description. If, as some viewers are writing, it was just a matter of a few non-players entering a short way into the field briefly without interfering with play and quickly getting off, then it would not be such a dangerous situation.

So what you're suggesting is that anytime the offense has a breakaway run the defensive players on the sideline should run onto the field with their helmets off in order to have the play whistled dead.

Why not just enforce the current rules as written that address a situation like this instead of making them up as you go along?

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by waltjp

So what you're suggesting is that anytime the offense has a breakaway run the defensive players on the sideline should run onto the field with their helmets off in order to have the play whistled dead.

But they wouldn't do that, because the penalty would be an awarded touchdown. Isn't that the rule for when a player comes off the bench to stop an apparent touchdown run?