Ariz/GB fumble

[bbcof83]

Originally Posted by pedr

I also thought - both in real time and then watching replays - that Rodgers kicked the ball.

What I really don't understand is why he did it. If he hadn't, the ball would almost certainly have hit the ground, and every time I saw it I've got forward pass, not fumble there. His hand was moving forwards in a passing motion when the defender pushed at the ball, diverting its path. If Rodgers lets the ball hit the ground it is (or at least should be) 4th down, and a chance to be brave and go for it, or punt away and hope for a (miraculous) stop by the Packers D. Kicking the ball seemed to have no purpose, and could have had no purpose, particularly as it's not really something he's ever trained to do!

Agreed, why didn't he peer into the future and know that was going to happen?

[Umpmazza]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

It's a 5-yard face mask IN Fed Rules. There's no such animal in the NFL anymore.

That said, the R would have a hard time seeing that -- he's bagging the fumble and watching the ball being retrieved -- so if there was a turn of the mask it would be a stretch to assume it would've been gotten by Green, although the U may have had a flag there.

I'm glad the ball was picked in the air, otherwise it might've been a replay of the tuck rule.

there I fixed it...

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Umpmazza

there I fixed it...

It didn't need fixing. The second sentence made it clear what I was talking about.

[JasonTX]

What amazes me is that all the fans don't understand the 5 yard facemask rule. They are reading into it thinking that all facemasks are 15 yarders, but that is incorrect. Maybe Mike P will inform the misinformed that the 5 yard variety is now legal.

[APG]

As others have pointed out, there must be a twisting and pulling on the facemask for a penalty to be called.

Official NFL Rule Book 2009

Rule 12, Section 2, Article 5:
No player shall twist, turn, or pull the facemask of an opponent in any direction.
Penalty: For twisting, turning, or pulling the mask: loss of 15 yards. The player may be disqualified if the action is judged by the official(s) to be of a flagrant nature.

A.R. 12.12 Third-and-10 on A30. Runner A1 runs to the A33, where he is tackled by B1, who incidentally grasps A1's face mask on the tackle, but it is not a twist, turn, or pull.
Ruling: A's ball, fourth-and-seven, on A33. No foul



Also, if the face mask would of been called, it would of been a 15 yard penalty coupled with an automatic first down from the previous spot. Green Bay's ball 1st-and-10 from their 39.

[cmathews]

Originally Posted by JasonTX

What amazes me is that all the fans don't understand the 5 yard facemask rule. They are reading into it thinking that all facemasks are 15 yarders, but that is incorrect. Maybe Mike P will inform the misinformed that the 5 yard variety is now legal.

Jason,
Can you enlighten us on a 5 yd facemask in the NFL??

[APG]

Originally Posted by cmathews

Jason,
Can you enlighten us on a 5 yd facemask in the NFL??

There is no such thing under NFL Rules. The pertinent rules on face mask were posted above.

[JasonTX]

Originally Posted by cmathews

Jason,
Can you enlighten us on a 5 yd facemask in the NFL??

I was just stating that it is no longer illegal to have an incidental facemask foul that was once a 5 yard penalty.

[cmathews]

or that they did away with the 5 yard variety and only have the 15 yard option left??

[Welpe]

There is no longer a foul for incidental grasping of the face mask in NFL or the NCAA. This foul does still exist in the Fed and the penalty is 5 yards. In the NFL and NCAA, there is only a foul for a pull, twist or turn. This foul is 15 yards.

There are some that believe (incorrectly) that ANY facemask grab is now a 15yard foul. That is not true under any code.

[APG]

Originally Posted by cmathews

or that they did away with the 5 yard variety and only have the 15 yard option left??

That is correct. There is no 5 yard face mask penalty anymore. It's 15 yards or nothing.

[cmathews]

Originally Posted by AllPurposeGamer

That is correct. There is no 5 yard face mask penalty anymore. It's 15 yards or nothing.

Yes that was my understanding as well, but I wasn't exactly sure what Jason was trying to say that is why I asked him for clarification.

[jimpiano]

Originally Posted by pedr

I also thought - both in real time and then watching replays - that Rodgers kicked the ball.

What I really don't understand is why he did it. If he hadn't, the ball would almost certainly have hit the ground, and every time I saw it I've got forward pass, not fumble there. His hand was moving forwards in a passing motion when the defender pushed at the ball, diverting its path. If Rodgers lets the ball hit the ground it is (or at least should be) 4th down, and a chance to be brave and go for it, or punt away and hope for a (miraculous) stop by the Packers D. Kicking the ball seemed to have no purpose, and could have had no purpose, particularly as it's not really something he's ever trained to do!

Then why were the officials throwing their bags?

[JasonTX]

Originally Posted by jimpiano

Then why were the officials throwing their bags?

In these bang-bang plays like this I believe the officials are supposed to go with fumble and then let replay kick in to see if it was a pass.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by pedr

I also thought - both in real time and then watching replays - that Rodgers kicked the ball.

What I really don't understand is why he did it. If he hadn't, the ball would almost certainly have hit the ground, and every time I saw it I've got forward pass, not fumble there. His hand was moving forwards in a passing motion when the defender pushed at the ball, diverting its path. If Rodgers lets the ball hit the ground it is (or at least should be) 4th down, and a chance to be brave and go for it, or punt away and hope for a (miraculous) stop by the Packers D. Kicking the ball seemed to have no purpose, and could have had no purpose, particularly as it's not really something he's ever trained to do!

Avoiding a knock-on?

Just a little inter-code humor.