Football Officiating > NCAA Discussion

Speaking of an unfair rule (IMHO)

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ElvisLives:
7-1-11 and 6-3-12

These are the “Illegal Return” rules, for Team A players on kicking downs. The rules say “…out of bounds…” and make no differentiation between at the sidelines or at the end lines. The entire boundary of the field.

OK. The rule is intended to keep players from running into team areas - particularly their own - where they can 1) nearly disappear, then reappear inbounds, unhindered, where they can recover the ball or make a tackle, and/or 2) use team personnel in those areas to prevent opposing players from hindering their movement down the field. (Note that it is illegal for a player to block an opponent when both are out of bounds, but it is legal for a player to block an opponent who is OB, if the blocker is not OB).

Occasionally, the ball, loose from a kick, can get into Team B’s end zone and remain alive. IMHO, in those cases, players (both teams) have only one thing in mind, and that is to recover the ball.  A Team A player that goes OB from the end zone ain’t hiding from anybody, and doesn’t (or certainly shouldn’t) have any persons in that area to ‘screen’ him from opponents. But, with current rules, if a Team A player were to run OB from the end zone, and then return inbounds, he commits a foul, even if he makes a great play to recover the ball (for a possible TD).

Never happen, you say? Well, around 2010, in the WAC, a team kicked off, and the ball bounced at the B-20, or so, and headed for the end zone, then glanced off the hands of a Team B player around the 8 yard line, and then went into the end zone. The ball continued toward the back of the end zone, and a Team A player, in hot pursuit, runs past the ball (which is now about 1 yard from the end line) then steps out of bounds with both feet, turns around, steps back into the end zone with both feet, and dives on the ball, to recover it (which he does). The crew on the field ruled TD. In his review of our games from the weekend, our coordinator reminded the staff that a Team A player that is OB voluntarily during a kick down may not return inbounds for the remainder of the down. Ouch. That is what is known as a catastrophic error (one in which score is awarded or denied incorrectly, or incorrect possession is awarded).
So, let’s stop and think about the fairness of this rule. First, we DO see a fair number of instances each season when the ball is touched by Team B before it touches the ground in B’s end zone, and the ball remains alive while in the end zone. Once the ball gets to the end zone, what function does this rule serve? IMHO, nothing. In fact, it takes away a great football play made by a Team A player in hustling to be in position to make such a play. I would like to see them change the rule to say, “…a player of Team A who goes OB between the goal lines during a legal kick play…” That would fix this problem. Yeah, a player going OB between the goal line and the B-20 would not likely be a secret, but, the goal line is a much more visible line of demarcation than a ‘plain’ yard line, and would seem to be a fair compromise with the current rule.

Just thinking about things, so I don’t have to think about work.  ;D

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