NFL - Play over when Helmet Removed
 

The bigger story from the game should be the ridiculousness of using replay to determine when exactly a helmet came off to take a TD off the board.

I understand not allowing a guy to keep running after it flies off, but logically you should get to finish your fall to the ground before the play's dead.

By rule, the ball is dead as soon as the ball carrier's helmet comes off. Doesn't matter if he's running upright, if he's in mid-flight after jumping, or if he's "falling to the ground" as you put it.

The rule is there to protect the ball carrier... he's got 11 opponents whose job is to hit him and bring him to the ground.

Logically the TD should have counted. It should never come down to using replay.

I understand they got it right as far as the rule is written. It's stupid the way the rule allowed the TD to be taken away.

And yet, there are some who wonder if adding Instant Replay to the High School game might be a good idea. Just like some really problematic laws, eliminating the "judgment factor" and writing rules (or laws) so tight common sense is not allowed to be a factor, inevitably produces endless argument.

When a kid fumbles the ball at the three yard line, and it's called a touchdown on the field, that's something that can and should be fixed by replay, regardless of what level it's at.

A friend and I had a conversation tonight about the Bell play and how common sense should factor in, and my question to him was, how do you define common sense in the rules?

It would obviously be tough to account for every possible scenario in the rule book. This is one scenario I think needs adjusting. The way it played out, the TD should have counted.

The ball is dead immediately when the helmet comes off, the ball wasn't across the goal line when it came off. You spot the ball where the helmet came off. It's pretty easy.

And that's kind of what I was saying...it's easy because it's an absolute. There's not a lot of subjectivity to that rule. It's black and white...either the ball was across the goal line or it wasn't.

So now they'll need to put cameras on the goal line, I suppose. And hire replay officials, too.

Really?

What about the other 13 weeks of the season, including the other 4 knockout rounds? Going to do it there, too?

Let's just change how the game is played or officiated for one game because it's played at Camp Randall and is on TV.

I understand that. Common sense would say that he should have been allowed to finish falling.

At any point, it's not something instant replay should ever be involved in. Especially since the booth had already approved the TD before changing its mind.

A simple, and graphic, negative definition for bureaucracy is; "When established rules or regulations come in direct conflict with common sense, following the rule rather than reason the objective."

Common sense says it's black and white. The play ends as soon as the helmet comes. It's all about player safety. I'm not advocating instant replay in the high school game at all.

All scores are reviewed in pro and college anyway. Ruling on the spot of the ball when a helmet comes off is no different then overturning a TD when a player was down prior to crossing the goal line.

Ending the play when he's in mid-air versus when he hits the ground has zero impact on player safety and nothing to do with the intent of the rule. Common sense = TD on that particular play.

The rule was put in to you don't have Jason Witten running another 15 yards down the field with no helmet with people trying to tackle him, not to screw a team out of a TD when a guy's going to the ground and his helmet comes off a split second before the ball breaks the plane.

Put your helmet on more tightly, and this doesn't happen.

It was a pretty brutal hit. I'm not sure how much you can fault Bell.