Proper spot and down?

[bisonlj]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

You could whistle on the assumption that someone must have possession of it, but then how is your presumption any better than mine as laid out above?

Saw a Big 10 official do that on a fumble into the end zone at Wisconsin a couple years ago. The pile ensued and he stopped the clock to find the ball. What he didn't know (nor did any of the players on the pile) was the ball had come out the other side and was loose when the whistle blew. They had to treat it as an IW and Wisconsin took the ball at the spot of the fumble.