NFL Divisional Round weekend thread

I think you need to be watching The Rugby Channel.

 

One of my favorite things ever here on these boards was a former "Prominent Poster" talking about getting thrown out of a Pop Warner football game for arguing an offsides with a ref, claiming the ref was an idiot because his player had gotten back on the defensive side of the line.

Hell. I've had opposing coaches try to argue the same thing.

People just flat don't know the rules. Coaches. Players. Parents. Especially Parents ...

 

We've been through this before.

A receiver must first establish possession before he can score a touchdown. If he catches the ball but lands out of bounds, he has not established possession within the field of play -- it's an incomplete pass, just as if he catches the ball anywhere else on the field but comes down with one foot out of bounds.

A ball carrier does not need to establish possession to score. He already has possession, so all he needs to do to score a touchdown is get the ball into the end zone. Once the ball touches the goal line, it's a TD and the ball is dead from that moment. Anything that happens after that does not matter (well, other than a penalty).

 

Why is it assumed it’s the offense’s ball after it’s fumbled?

I know this is a harsh rule, but teach the player to turn and run upfield rather than dive. And you know we are going to see defenders chopping at the ball more.

 

I’ve had a coach straight up tell me that was his strategy. It was just better to not give up the TD.

I also saw the goal to go PI twice in consecutive games. I didn’t know the rule the first time and was blown away when I found out PI isn’t an automatic first down. When it happened the next week, I was able to calm some people down by explaining it to them. It is one rule I’d change in high school. Make it an automatic first down and just make it easy on everyone.

 

I think the refs are actually really good about this. I’ve seen a few actually explain the difference between pros and high school. Because you need to be familiar with so many rules, those guys do well to read up on what they’re officiating. The real confusion is the fans who have no incentive to actually read up on anything. It’s super easy to spot the guy at the college game who doesn’t watch college football on TV. He inevitably shouts why the game didn’t stop for the 2 minute warning.

 

An obvious one is the fan waving his hand over his head -- not a catchable ball. I know the rules are different at each level. I admit I don't know the difference. I've seen coaches do this, too.

 

And I want to add, some refs are garbage. I think it’s because they don’t understand the rule, can’t process what they are seeing or have no feel for the game rather than being confused about pro vs high school/college.

 

Intentional grounding is a great one at the high school level.

"But he was outside the pocket!"
"But he threw it over the line of scrimmage!"

Just STFU and imagine a world where the officials know the rules better than you do.

 

Ryan Clark clearly likes the rule as it is.

 

By the way, I'm surprised there hasn't been more talk about the hit that forced Higgins to fumble. It looked like helmet-to-helmet to me.

Monday's injury and roster news ahead of NFL Championship Sunday

Edit: I just watched this. It was absolutely an illegal, helmet-to-helmet hit by Sorensen. Don't just look at the still. Watch the video. You can see Sorensen lower his head so his helmet hits the helmet of Higgins. To be fair, Sorensen may have made contact with his shoulder to the shoulder of Higgins first.