Correcting The Down

[bama_stripes]

We didn't even get past Week 1 before this was reported in our meeting yesterday:

A's ball, 3 & 6.  On a pass play, A85 goes OOB on his own, returns, & is the first to touch the ball.  The R is told that the foul is Illegal Touching, and penalizes A 5 yards + LOD.  A(K) then punts, and after the RFP (but before the snap), the R realizes his error.

Assuming an inexperienced chain crew using only one clip, how should the crew rectify this?

[Ralph Damren]

IMHO,
  (1) Pull the crew together..."Does anyone remember where the chains were ?:"
  (2) Go to the chain crew..."Does anyone remember where you were ?"
  (3) Go to the clock/scoreboard operator... "Do you remember where the chains were ?"
  (4) Go to the seasoned scribe roaming the sidelines.."Did you record where the last play came from ?"
  (5) Poll each team's stat person.."Where did you record the last play from ?"
  (6) PUNT (GUESS)

DON'T SCREW UP THE DOWNS

[Curious]

So where are those "it will never happen" folks now? 

[Ralph Damren]

The OP opens up an even bigger Pandora's box. The wrong penalty was enforced - illegal touching vs illegal participation - the downs and distance were applied correctly for the enforced penalty. In the "who owes who what" catergory, we owe A another down but A owes the game 10 more yards .!

Can we correct a wrong penalty being applied after another play has been run ?

I say no....what say you?

[wvoref]

Any chance this falls under the previous discussion that the Referee can correct as opposed to must correct. I personally like Ralph's contention that the called penalty was wrong but it's enforcement was correct. Therefore we probably can't correct anything.

[prosec34]

I wish it was like baseball, where once you throw the next pitch, it's too late to complain.

[FLAHL]

I don't think we can correct this either. It's another reminder though that the entire crew I'd responsible for penalty enforcement, not just the R.

[AlUpstateNY]

I agree, after another play has been run is just too late.  Acknowledge the mistake and take the hit.  Which brings up another suggestion; If an enforcement mistake is made on a penalty, when you discover it, which may be at the half when things are being discussed, advise both Teams of the mistake, and advise them what the proper enforcement should have been.

Otherwise the football gods will guarantee the same penalty occurs again, and your explanation for doing something different, that you originally did, will be a lot more painful.

[bama_stripes]

Can we correct a wrong penalty being applied after another play has been run?
I say no....what say you?

Ordinarily I'd say no -- just as if A had been penalized only 10 yds instead of 15 for an illegal blocking foul.  But the LOD aspect of the incorrectly-enforced IT foul makes me think we can correct the DOWN.

Is this any different than the "5 downs - 3 downs" correction that the rule was intended for?

[Ralph Damren]

Ordinarily I'd say no -- just as if A had been penalized only 10 yds instead of 15 for an illegal blocking foul.  But the LOD aspect of the incorrectly-enforced IT foul makes me think we can correct the DOWN.

Is this any different than the "5 downs - 3 downs" correction that the rule was intended for?

IMHO, if there was a DFU (you guys know what that stands for) on a penalty enforcement ,such as awarding new series on DPI or LOD on OPI, that could be correctable under our new spiffy rule. If the wrong penalty was enforced, you have a different critter . In the OP, if you gave A a down back would you also tack on an additional 10 yards as IP is 15 vs 5 for IT ?

 

[Atlanta Blue]

Given the foul that was called, the down is not wrong.  The fact that they didn't call or enforce the right foul is a screwup that can't be fixed after the next snap.