Do Over?
 

I'm a b-ball official not a football official. I come here to ask questions about things I see. Saw something tonight I have not seen and was curious to your thoughts.

3rd and 2. Runner is stripped of the ball as he's going down. Defense recovers. SJ comes in signaling the runner was down. Defense complains. Officials huddle. After the huddle they moved the ball back and it was 3rd and 2 again. No penalties called. Nothing. Just a do-over.

Can a do-over occur?

Again, no ax to grind. Just curious.

I suspect that you observed the dreaded inadvertent whistle. In football, during a fumble, an inadvertent whistle while the ball is loose gives the team last in possession the option of accepting the result of the play or replaying the down. You saw what happened. :)

I realize this is a "had to be there" but if the SJ was so adamant what MIGHT have been discussed to cause this? Maybe another official was just as sure it was a fumble so they simply disagreed?

The crew might have asked him whether he really saw the runner down with the ball. If he said no, then IW. If they can't agree, well that's why one guy wears a white hat.

The team last in possession may also choose to put the ball in play where possession was lost.

You don't replay it because they disagreed. You replay it if the referee rules that an IW occurred.

Since it was 3rd and 2 and the line to gain was probably not, the offense chose to replay the down.

Dear Spence:

Please don't talk about inadvertant whistles on this site. Your post caused dozens of football officials to break out in hives.