(Question From a Fan) IW & Replay

[bisonlj]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

Not too recently, no. I found after a few years of coaching that I could no longer enjoy just watching whole games, though I could continue to enjoy watching clips to learn from, games in our organiz'n or division, or a little bit if the TV was on where I was with friends.

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?

It's been a largely non-issue the 5 or 6 years it's been a rule. The defense is awarded the ball only if it's an obvious recovery immediately after the fumble. If there is a pile or scrum then it can't be awarded to the defense.