College Question~Fumble
 

Greetings from Montana...
I know that many of you do High School ball and there are probably many differences between High School and College as there are in basketball.... But I have a football question...
Montana as you may know does not have a NFL program... Soooo our Universities become our football addiction outlet... Last night our University of Montana played a North Carolina team for the a trip to our conference D1 finals in Tennessee...
The play... (Using a basketball format) A1 passes to receiver A2 and we have a legal reception... A split second later, with A2 holding the ball, B1 makes the hit and A2 coughs up the ball which is recovered by B2... The collision was pretty spectacular as many of them are these days and happen so quickly that I don't think that the receiver even thought about heading down field... Time was called almost immediately after the lost and recovery of the ball to deal with the injured receiver A2....
Question... On the hit, when the receiver A2 lost the ball, isn't this a fumble? Linda, my wife, and I thought that it would have been, but no one even mentioned it, so we were obviously in error... Can you explain why? Thanks!
Semper Fi
Chuck

In order to have a fumble, you first have to have possession. The covering official may have judged the receiver did not have possession before he lost the ball If it was as bang-bang as you describe, I could easily see ruling of no possession.

I just read an article posted in one our online Montana Newspapers... And according to that article the officials did consider it an incomplete pass... Looked good to me! But then I guess that's why I am not a football official~!
Thanks for your reply TXMike.
Chuck

Watched part of that game as we were eating our post-game meal here in Texas, Just what is it the people in the stands were drinking that got them so "peppy" in those miserable conditions????

LOL... It's really hard to say what one might find out at the tailgate parties, but Montanan's love their University's football teams!
It is really not uncommon up here to find the following signs in many Montana store fronts throughout any given year....
Closed... Gone Fishing.
Closed... Gone Hunting
and
Closed... Gone to the Griz Game!

Its tough to say if it is or it isn't a fumble without seeing the play.

A lot of commissioners want the officials to see a "football move" before they have a catch and a fumble. They'd rather have them rule it incomplete if its a bang bang play.

Would this be the play by any chance?

YouTube - Keith Thompson hit on Matt Cline, UM vs. App St. 12/12/09

Already posted on the Refstripes forum and discussed somewhat there, but in the context of being a Personal Foul and possible taunting.

My view?
1) Incomplete pass.
2) Personal Foul under Rule 9-1-3-a which states:- No player shall initiate contact and target an opponent with the crown (top) of the helmet. When in question it is a foul.
3) A further 15 yds for taunting under Rule 9-2-1-a-1-g which states:- Specifically prohibited acts include punching one's own chest or crossing one's arms in front of the chest while standing over a prone player.


But certainly, if someone doesn't teach that young man about not lowering his helmet when he goes in for the tackle, he could end up in a wheelchair.

REPLY: Not that he needs my validation, but I agree with With_Two_Flakes on all three of his comments. And notice that right after grabbibg the ball, he bobbles it and never fully gains possession before the hit.