Forward Progress after COP

[MD Longhorn]

First down on the 2. Nothing to think about here.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

First down on the 2. Nothing to think about here.

+1000

Peace

[Suudy]

Well, in the former sit, I don't think there is any further thinking. Rather, I was more interested in the latter situation.

What if B makes an effort to down himself in the EZ, but A lifts/drives B into the field of play?

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Suudy

Well, in the former sit, I don't think there is any further thinking. Rather, I was more interested in the latter situation.

What if B makes an effort to down himself in the EZ, but A lifts/drives B into the field of play?

I think you are over thinking this. I have yet to see a situation where a defender launches someone forward while a ball carrier is truly going down. This is why you get paid the big bucks to decide when or if forward progress has been stopped. But if a player is trying to go down or cannot until his forward progress is stopped outside the end zone, he needs to learn how to do that better.

Peace

[Suudy]

Just to be clear, I'm not discussing any actual situation I've seen or heard about. This is just a hypothetical for purposes of rule discussion.

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I think you are over thinking this. I have yet to see a situation where a defender launches someone forward while a ball carrier is truly going down.

I haven't seen this either. Just a hypothetical that got me wondering.

Originally Posted by JRutledge

This is why you get paid the big bucks to decide when or if forward progress has been stopped.

But that's the point. Forward progress hasn't been stopped if A is driving B back into the field of play. Indeed, A is driving B forward.

Originally Posted by JRutledge

But if a player is trying to go down or cannot until his forward progress is stopped outside the end zone, he needs to learn how to do that better.

Fair enough. There's no rule prohibiting an opponent from driving the ball carrier forward. And normally that would be desirable.

Or perhaps a similar case. With less than a minute remaining in the game, A is trying to go down in bounds. B lifts/drives A forward and out of bounds.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Suudy

But that's the point. Forward progress hasn't been stopped if A is driving B back into the field of play. Indeed, A is driving B forward.

You've answered your own question.

Or perhaps a similar case. With less than a minute remaining in the game, A is trying to go down in bounds. B lifts/drives A forward and out of bounds.

Ditto.

You seem hung up on the fact that A is trying to go down and B's trying to prevent it. This game is filled with instances of one player or team trying to do something and the other team or player trying to prevent it. You don't give one or the other a break or the benefit of what their intent was - you rule on what happened. There should be no inclination on your part to help out A, who was attempting to do something perhaps not normal, when he was prevented from doing so by B, who was similarly trying to do something otherwise not normal (push a player forward).

Simply rule on what happens. Don't make it difficult.

[MD Longhorn]

(And ... for the record ... I've seen a player stop suddenly to try to not score, only to be pushed into the endzone by the defense who wanted him to score (so they could get the ball back).)

[Suudy]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

You seem hung up on the fact that A is trying to go down and B's trying to prevent it. This game is filled with instances of one player or team trying to do something and the other team or player trying to prevent it.

Ah. Good point. I hadn't considered this just another case of "trying to do something and ... trying to prevent it." I had thoughts of holding or something in mind.

Thanks for the response.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Suudy

Well, in the former sit, I don't think there is any further thinking. Rather, I was more interested in the latter situation.

What if B makes an effort to down himself in the EZ, but A lifts/drives B into the field of play?

I understood your question...

The answer, still... is First down on the 2. Nothing to think about here.