(Question From a Fan) IW & Replay

[jTheUmp]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

So they should no longer play to the whistle (or until other evidence the ball is dead, whichever is sooner), but play until...uh...some time after "immediate action" is over? And officials didn't say to the rules committee that that would be a really, really bad idea?

I'm sure the officials did make the objection when this change was originally implemented. But as we all know, officials don't make the rules, we just have to enforce them.

Has this had the side effect of officials whistling quicker to compensate, so that there are more IW? Because the disincentive for an IW is not as great?

Exactly the opposite. If in doubt, rule a fumble/recovery/return and let replay come in and overrule and say the runner was down prior to the fumble anyway. (I heard a statistic somewhere that in something like 85% of the close fumble/down cases, the correct ruling is a fumble).

On the other hand, one of the maxims I've also heard from D-I guys is "don't officiate to replay"... so take what you will from that.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by jTheUmp

Exactly the opposite. If in doubt, rule a fumble/recovery/return and let replay come in and overrule and say the runner was down prior to the fumble anyway.

Ah. I'd forgotten replay could be used that way already. I figured that would be the effect when that came in.

(I heard a statistic somewhere that in something like 85% of the close fumble/down cases, the correct ruling is a fumble).

There's no sharp dividing line between control & lack of control of the ball, it's always a matter of degree. Usually you'll see that the ball starts to move relative to the player's grip a bit before it frankly comes out, so that may be the basis for the above statement.

In games where replay is in use, do you have a different standard as to how late is a late hit than you do in games where it's not?

[jTheUmp]

I've never worked a game where replay was used, but... A late hit (or not) is not a reviewable play, so no, there's no different standard with respect to late hits.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by jTheUmp

I've never worked a game where replay was used, but... A late hit (or not) is not a reviewable play, so no, there's no different standard with respect to late hits.

That wasn't the reason I had in mind. I was thinking more along the lines of, since the players can still get the ball after the whistle, an official in such a game might be more lenient when it comes to hitting late.

[InsideTheStripe]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

In games where replay is in use, do you have a different standard as to how late is a late hit than you do in games where it's not?

No.