Proper spot and down?

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

Hard for me to imagine how a player could "fall on the ball" and yet the whistle be inadvertent. Either the description is faulty, or there was some strange judgment that the player lying on the ball, even if it subsequently "squirted out", was not in possession of it. Did one of the other officials have a better angle that enabled him to see the ball was merely deflected off the side of the player rather than trapped between the player's body and the ground?

Happens all the time: official sees player jump on the ball but does not see possession (typically the player's back is to the official). Official blows whistle while the ball is still loose, and an opponent recovers. Classic IW.

[tomes1978]

Originally Posted by mbyron

Happens all the time: official sees player jump on the ball but does not see possession (typically the player's back is to the official). Official blows whistle while the ball is still loose, and an opponent recovers. Classic IW.

I had one the other day just like this. Luckily it was in a freshman game, I still wanted to go hide under a rock!

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by tomes1978

I had one the other day just like this. Luckily it was in a freshman game, I still wanted to go hide under a rock!

We all have one. The trick... just have ONE.

[Rich]

I've had 2 in my career.

One was in a freshman game where I was dealing with 16 year olds working the chains. I had a ball disappear into the line and I thought I saw the football. Whoops. The varsity coach was laughing and yelling at his players working the chains to pay attention so I could work the game.

Another was in Week 1 one year when I hadn't gotten any field work in. The QB got absolutely smeared and I reached for my flag to flag roughing and I accidentally blew my whistle (what, did I think I was working basketball?). Fortunately for me, the ball was intercepted, so the RTP took precedence anyway. Lesson? Why didn't the whistle drop at the snap like it normally does?

Now I'm a white hat most of the time and it's rare I ever blow my whistle.

[MD Longhorn]

My one happened in my first 4A game a few years back. WR and CB on my side were getting chippy. Ball is snapped and all of a sudden they start beating the crap out of each other. Flagged it, blew the whistle, got out of the way and started writing down numbers as it got worse.

Only after things settled down did my WH mention in the way only he could... 'Hey, um ... did you notice we had a play going on over here when you whistled it?"

Beer was on me that night.

[Scuba_ref]

Friday night I was admiring a tackle by the back of the helmet and looking for a facemask call when the runner went down and I blew my whistle and didn't drop my flag...at that point I see the defense running down field with the ball...I'm still kicking myself!