Should this play be shut down?

[Bwest]

http://deadspin.com/arkansas-st-scores-touchdown-because-runner-tackled-on-1649175739

First thought is good whistle control by the officials on the field.

But on second thought, should this play be blown dead for forward progress? If a defender lays a lick on a player in the prone position like that we are justifyably flagging him 99% of the time for a late hit.

The defenders do what we encourage, that is, to stop playing when it's apparent the play is dead and they give up an uncontested TD.

[bama_stripes]

Happened upon this game just as this play occurred, and my thoughts were the same as yours.  While this may not  technically be forward progress (the ball carrier wasn't controlled by the defense), I believe replay would have supported such a call in this circumstance.

[Legacy Zebra]

Replay can't do a thing with regard to forward progress.

[Kalle]

If the ball carrier is falling backward to the ground and gets licked just before hitting ground, do you flag the defender? If the ball carrier is running sideways to the sideline and is just about to obviously step OOB and gets licked, a flag? If no on both counts, why would you have a flag in this case? The rules makers want the ball to stay live in this case, and they get to decide, not us.

Good whistle control from the covering officials.

[Bwest]

If the ball carrier is falling backward to the ground and gets licked just before hitting ground, do you flag the defender? If the ball carrier is running sideways to the sideline and is just about to obviously step OOB and gets licked, a flag? If no on both counts, why would you have a flag in this case? The rules makers want the ball to stay live in this case, and they get to decide, not us.

Good whistle control from the covering officials.

If his knee is on the ground here, and he gets hit a full three seconds after the play is dead you are probably seeing yellow. However that is the exact play a defender would have to make in order to prevent a touchdown in this scenario.

It just seems like a cheap TD because nearly everyone (including the U and BJ) seem to think that the play had ended. But of course at the end of the day it is ruled correctly.

And I don't know how you could possibly even write a rule to cover this scenario without drastic unintended consequences.

[Kalle]

It just seems like a cheap TD because nearly everyone (including the U and BJ) seem to think that the play had ended. But of course at the end of the day it is ruled correctly.

It is a tough sell, yes. I've been there (twice, actually) - had the ball carrier falling down on another player (don't remember if it was a team mate or an opponent) close to the goal line, team B thinks the ball is dead, ball carrier gets up and crosses the goal line, wings signal TD. Team B furious, and on the PAT one of the team B gunners blows the holder away well after the kick has been made, and is "surprised" that he gets flagged (should have ejected him).

[NorCalMike]

I had a similar play last year. I was the U and was probably a little to close to the play. I was actually moving the whistle to my mouth at the time the runner got up. I was worried the rest of the game that I should have killed it but after watching the play on the video, I think we got it right.

http://www.nfhsnetwork.com/clips/cifsjs/eb15202040/09bdaf8c9a86cc830e8d160052741703

I have to say that this play demonstrated to me how watching a lot of video can make you a better official. I had seen a very similar play watching an NFL game the year before. I think one of the things video does is allow you to anticipate what might happen in a play and since you have seen something like it before, it allows quicker decision making. BTW there is research to support this. Gary Klein wrote a book called Sources of Power that discuss this.

[James]

Since I don't officiate at the level we are talking about here, I can say that where I am this is blown dead. This would have been seen as forward progress stopped.
If he had rolled over the OLiner I would have kept it live, but he ended up going a step backwards when getting up. The philosophy I learned was roll backwards over a pile and we call forward progress.

[texref]

Replay can't do a thing with regard to forward progress.

Not exactly correct. Replay can get involved with Forward Progress if it pertains to the Line to Gain or Goal Line. (12-3-3e)