Posted on 09/25/2012 10:45:44 AM PDT by djf
In Monday's game between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks, Seattle faced a 4th-and-10 from the Green Bay 24 with eight seconds remaining in the game.
Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson threw a pass into the end zone. Several players, including Seattle wide receiver Golden Tate and Green Bay safety M.D. Jennings, jumped into the air in an attempt to catch the ball.
While the ball is in the air, Tate can be seen shoving Green Bay cornerback Sam Shields to the ground. This should have been a penalty for offensive pass interference, which would have ended the game. It was not called and is not reviewable in instant replay.
When the players hit the ground in the end zone, the officials determined that both Tate and Jennings had possession of the ball. Under the rule for simultaneous catch, the ball belongs to Tate, the offensive player. The result of the play was a touchdown.
Replay Official Howard Slavin stopped the game for an instant replay review. The aspects of the play that were reviewable included if the ball hit the ground and who had possession of the ball. In the end zone, a ruling of a simultaneous catch is reviewable. That is not the case in the field of play, only in the end zone.
Referee Wayne Elliott determined that no indisputable visual evidence existed to overturn the call on the field, and as a result, the on-field ruling of touchdown stood. The NFL Officiating Department reviewed the video today and supports the decision not to overturn the on-field ruling following the instant replay review.
The result of the game is final.
Applicable rules to the play are as follows:
A player (or players) jumping in the air has not legally gained possession of the ball until he satisfies the elements of a catch listed here.
Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3 of the NFL Rule Book defines a catch:
A forward pass is complete (by the offense) or intercepted (by the defense) if a player, who is inbounds:
(a) secures control of the ball in his hands or arms prior to the ball touching the ground; and
(b) touches the ground inbounds with both feet or with any part of his body other than his hands; and
(c) maintains control of the ball long enough, after (a) and (b) have been fulfilled, to enable him to perform any act common to the game (i.e., maintaining control long enough to pitch it, pass it, advance with it, or avoid or ward off an opponent, etc.).
When a player (or players) is going to the ground in the attempt to catch a pass, Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3, Item 1 states:
Player Going to the Ground. If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball throughout the process of contacting the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete.
Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3, Item 5 states:
Simultaneous Catch. If a pass is caught simultaneously by two eligible opponents, and both players retain it, the ball belongs to the passers. It is not a simultaneous catch if a player gains control first and an opponent subsequently gains joint control. If the ball is muffed after simultaneous touching by two such players, all the players of the passing team become eligible to catch the loose ball.
The best way to handle this obvious theft for the home team...most of the Rent-a-Refs are cowards and decide plays to benefit the home team...is for the fans to find something else to do on Thursdays and Sundays. Anything beats seeing trash like last nights game. Let the ratings crash and the advertisers will notice, because the only thing that gets the owners’ attention is money.
The Texans are our team, and we are wondering what penalty will be given to the Denver player whose head shot caused OB Schaub’s ear damage. If these poorly officiated games continue, players will suffer injuries that may end their season.
Swore I'd never become invested in another pro football game as long as I lived.
I’m convinced they tweak officiating to push games in the way that will create the most revenue.
>>Basketball is worse.<<
That is a VERY low bar.
Traveling:
1) Can only be called if the player gets the ball under his basket, tucks it under his arm and runs like a running back to the opposing basket with never bouncing the ball, except for rule 2 below.
2) Can not be called ever on a star player (see Appendix A)
3) Is never to be called in the Playoffs.
Foul:
1) See Appendix B for the list of players who can be fouled without calls but will always be called for a foul for touching another player (or shows intention of touching another player).
You must not have seen this week’s Lions v Titans game. Titan DB tries to knock down a hail Mary. Detriot catches the attempt and scores.
“Love that kind of raw fan behavior.”
You should attend a Seattle Sounders soccer match if you ever get the chance. The Emerald City Supporters will make your ears bleed. Yells and chants and songs non-stop. The rowdiness is awesome.
Golden Tate didn't satisfy anything in either Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3 and Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3(5).
This is absurd.
"Peter King, Sports Illustrated... The inability to recognize the difference between simultaneous possession and one receiver trying to steal the ball from a defender. [...] The most telling part of the replay, if you watch closely, is that Tate's right arm, as the pile of bodies fall to the turf, flails out for a moment when Jennings has the ball, and then Tate puts his arm back in the scrum. Easley should have been able to see that."
So we can complain about their horrible calls!
I suspect that as well. The leagues worst nightmare is post season play between teams in small markets.
beat me to it.
[...] The most telling part of the replay, if you watch closely, is that Tate’s right arm, as the pile of bodies fall to the turf, flails out for a moment when Jennings has the ball, and then Tate puts his arm back in the scrum. Easley should have been able to see that.”
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Depends what your definition of “is” is.
Got a next door neighbor that’s still mad about leaving early
from that game.Wild game for sure
Some truly sorry calls from the zebras at LP Field Sunday
On the plus side there might be fewer commercials this season.
The new trend in America is to double-down on 'fail' when it's abundantly clear to everyone else that you're wrong.
Being correct takes a back seat to being resolutely and defiantly incorrect in this new age we're in.
That’s because for every $10 spent betting on the favorite to win, $1 is spent on the dog. Last night the Dog won and the good fellows back in Roger Goodell’s home state of New Jersey made a bundle. Just like they did when the Patriots lost in week 2, and like they did when the Saints lost in weeks 1 & 3… You see, it’s highly unusual for the favorite of the week to lose 3 weeks in a row, but that is exactly what has occurred this season. Expect that to continue, except for this week of course. To make it look legit you can expect a lot of favs to win this weekend. You wouldn't’t want to make it look too obvious – Right Roger?
The best "Tweet" of the night goes to Bubba Watson:
"Watch the Ryder Cup this weekend! We don't have refs."
So we can complain about their horrible calls!
IMHO, they make a whole lot fewer bad calls than these replacement refs do.
It was an officiating mess all around... Flat out painful to watch. The final call was a joke, and the icing on the cake for a game that was completely screwed up by piss poor officiating. Who knows how it would have turned out had the officiating been done with a more normal level of arguable calls - but that is why they play the games, and what I wanted to watch.
I'm a Packers fan, and I never expected the NFL to overturn the results of the game. If they did that for this game, there have been plenty of other royally screwed up games also.
That said - when the NFL to put out that crock of $#!% statement it was nothing more than spitting in the face of any real football fan. I love football, but won't be watching any NFL games until they get this sorted out. Way too painful to watch regardless of who is playing.
Will need to DVR an couple extra CFB games in case I need a football fix on Sunday afternoon...
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