Too Many Men on the Field?

[grunewar]

Not a football official so asking for clarity.

~ 7:00 to go in third quarter of Miami vs Georgia Tech today.

Miami working a pretty good no huddle/quick tempo offense. At one point, you can clearly see a GT player trying to get off the field and not make it. Cklearly 12 men on the field. No flag.

Miami calls a TO, talks to the ref and they go for review. They come back and say, play on, no flag.

Our announcers take differing sides:

1) Call it. There were clearly 12 men on the field. Also, the GT player was on the Miami side of the ball, so he would have been off side too.

2) Don't call it. The player was clearly trying to get off the field, he was outside the numbers, and his presence on the field had no bearing on the play.

Again, I have nothing to go on but their discussion and I have certainly seen it called in the NFL. Thoughts?

Thanks.

[JRutledge]

Honestly I have no idea what happen in either play. Having 12 on the field is not in itself illegal. Actually there is no such penalty. There is either an illegal substitution or illegal participation penalty which means several things have to happen for those to be infractions. So without video or some other information about what took place, it is hard to say what should be called if anything. Players do sometimes run off the field and it is not a penalty. Actually IS gets called often and probably every game I officiate this is called at the NCAA level and even many times at the HS level. And sometimes just like any other infraction it can be and will be missed.

Peace