Positioning of R

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by CT1

Maybe it's a regional thing. We have many plays each game where a RB or QB goes into the opposite sideline and the potential for misconduct is high. Certainly it's the wing's primary area. It's the responsibility of the BJ and the R to get over there to help police the OOB action.

I guess I have to ask how often you actually need to police this. Have eyes on it ... sure. How often does your actual physical presence change things?

Also ... if the play comes toward you, you're letting it flow past before you follow anyway. Are you really getting more than 1 step closer to the action by starting on the off side? At best you're saving yourself the need to hustle a little bit.

Really, now -- how many times do you actually have to rule on a QB pass/fumble in a year? And of those, how many are so close that you can only get it right from the passing arm side? How many are in potential game-changing situations?

Granted - once or twice a year do you have to rule on this ... but on ALL of those, you can only get it right from the passing arm side.

I prefer to have the field balanced.

I would not want to trade off certainty vs a guess on the fumble play twice a year - usually a game changer, since this often results in a defensive TD, and possibly get that one wrong, in return for being one step closer to action on a sweep and save myself a little bit of hustling.