Taking a knee (stat question)

I've seen kneel-downs that went for minus-2.

 

True, but not a sack.

 

When Jared Lorenzen takes a knee, it's a -3.

 

A kneeldown is however many yards the play goes for.

If the guy drops back five yards and takes a knee, it's a loss of five.

You have to account for every yard.

This ain't rocket science.

 

From the NFL Guide For Statisticians:

Blocked Punts:
A blocked punt is scored only when the punted ball does not go beyond the line of scrimmage. A “partially blocked” punt that travels beyond the line of scrimmage is not a blocked punt. A blocked punt is charged as a punt (for 0 yards) to the team, but not to the individual punter.

As far as an improperly centered snap on a punt ...
Example IV: Fourth-and-10 at own 20-yard line. Punter intends to receive snap, but it is clearly centered improperly. Then:
A. Punter recovers at the 5 where he is downed. Scoring: Center gets a fumble and minus 15 as fumble yardage. Punter gets one rush for no yards and an own recovery.
B. Punter recovers at the 5 and runs to the 22. Scoring: Center gets a fumble. Punter gets an own recovery and a rush for 2 yards.
C. Blocking back recovers at the 5, where he is downed or the ball is declared dead. Scoring: Center gets a fumble and minus 15 as fumble yardage. Punter gets a rush for no yards. Blocking back gets an own recovery.
D. Blocking back recovers at the 5, and runs to the 35. Scoring: Center gets a fumble. Punter gets one rush for no yards. Blocking back gets an own recovery, 15 yards (fumble yardage), and team is credited with a first down rushing.

or, a dropped ball before a punt ...
Example IX: Fourth-and-10 at the 50-yard line. Punter receives the snap from center and drops the ball while setting up to punt. Anyone recovers at the 40-yard line. Scoring: Punter gets one rush for no yards, a fumble, and minus 10 yards as fumble yardage.

As far as the kneel-down play, the statistician watches for the spot from the linesman to determine the spot and the yards lost. It is not an automatic -2. But the rush is credited to the quarterback for the minus yardage.

 

What the fuck? Now we're pretending that plays don't happen because in the view of the official scorer, the team "wasn't really trying" to complete a successful play?

Passer throws an incomplete pass, it's an incomplete pass.

Ballcarrier loses a yard (or 2), ballcarrier loses a yard.

Why, and on whose orders, they did it, ain't up to the official scorer to figure out.

It's hard enough for an official scorer to figure out the facts of what happened, without also having to figure out the motivation.

If a quarterback is so concerned about his own stats that he doesn't want to accept an incomplete pass, if the coach tells him the team needs it to stop the clock, or a rushing attempt of -1 yards, if the coach tells him he needs to kneel to kill the clock, maybe he shouldn't be playing quarterback.

Also, this whole passage exhibits a complete misunderstanding on the role of a statistician.

Players are not "charged" with incomplete passes or negative rushing plays. Recording those plays is simply a description of the event.

In this case, the statement "it is what it is" is entirely accurate.

 

When Joe Pisarcik takes a knee, it results in an Eagles win.

 

I've been doing kneeldowns as a team rush, just wanted to clarify since a co-worker and I covering the same game had differing opinions on this.

 

Dude, it's just kneel-downs and intentional spikes. I don't think the official scorer is going to get terribly confused trying to determine "motivation."

 

Dan Marino fakes a spike and throws a touchdown pass.
Is that a team attempt? No.
Dan Marino spikes the ball.
Is that a team attempt? Yes.
It's the rule, but that's bogus. Either way, a coach called a play and Dan Marino threw the ball.

All the football players must need trophies or something.

 

I covered a game this year in which a team ran out the clock of a 42-38 game with its basic spread offense, complete with shotgun snap before the quarterback took a knee two times.

-5 yards.