Safety or Not?

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by Rich

I'm much more annoyed about using all-but-one on offensive penalties behind the line of scrimmage -- 10 yards from the previous spot is more than enough for a holding penalty, for example.

This is all about what you think might've happened in the absence of the foul. The pros were 1st to change this, about 40 yrs. ago, in the assumption that if team A hadn't committed illegal use of hands, there would've been an incomplete pass rather than a sacking.

However, if a foul by A springs the runner for a gain, why should it matter whether that gain was from a point behind or beyond the previous spot?