Instant Replay not perfect

[cincybearcat]

I wish I was more technically savy to post video.  Late in Pitt vs. UC game...Pitt with ball and trailing.  QB gets wrapped up and flipps ball forward before he hits ground.  No receiver in area...clearing dumping ball (IntG).  R originally rules fumble recovered by B.  Instant replay correctly reverses fumble to incomplete pass...however, if R would have originally ruled Incomplete, he would have thrown flag for intentional grounding.  Would be nice if in a case like this, R could still throw a flag?  I guess now that I think about it couldn't he have?  We sometimes throw grounding flags late after discussion...this one would have been REAL late!

[zebra99]

good question - add to it this play:  Runner clearly beyond the line throws a forward pass.  ROF is knee down before pass.  Can IR get into the knee down or not issue?  And, if they reverse, what do we do with the forward pass beyond the line?

[FLBJ]

My only thought on this would be if it was close enough to rule pass/fumble, hard to say B didn't cause the 'forward pass' to fall short of where the QB was throwing, n'est pas?

[DD]

good question - add to it this play:  Runner clearly beyond the line throws a forward pass.  ROF is knee down before pass.  Can IR get into the knee down or not issue?  And, if they reverse, what do we do with the forward pass beyond the line?

If the ball carrier is rule down and the R rules that it was a pass, it is not reviewable.  If the ball carrier  was ruled down and and it is a fumble and there is a clear and immediate recovery, then it is reviewable.

[zebra99]

If the ball carrier is rule down and the R rules that it was a pass, it is not reviewable.  If the ball carrier  was ruled down and and it is a fumble and there is a clear and immediate recovery, then it is reviewable.

sorry, not sure that I agree - seems like we have had IR get into it when we allow the pass but actually the knee was down before the pass.  i.e. interception situation when the knee was down.

[DD]

Zebra99, it does not matter if you agree are not.  What was described happened in the Texas A&M game Saturday before last. The Big 12 sent out a bulletin following the game adressing that very play and stated it was not reviewable. Mike Pereria on Fox went to great length explaining why this play is not reviewable.

[zebra99]

Zebra99, it does not matter if you agree are not.  What was described happened in the Texas A&M game Saturday before last. The Big 12 sent out a bulletin following the game adressing that very play and stated it was not reviewable. Mike Pereria on Fox went to great length explaining why this play is not reviewable.

ok - thanks for giving me more information so now I understand why I don't matter.   But suppose the ROF is a pass which was intercepted and run back for a TD?

[gofor2]

If the ROF is a pass (and interception, catch, or incomplete) it can be reviewed.  If after review, it was determined the QB's was down prior to throwing the pass, then the interception (or catch or incompletion) would be nulified.  The down & distance would be corrected to reflect the actual result. 

If the QB was ruled down when he actually wasn't, the subsequent whistle (and stoppage of play) would not allow replay to get involved.

[Osric Pureheart]

Even if there was a delay such that the "pass" was caught before the whistle could have had any effect?

[Kalle]

Even if there was a delay such that the "pass" was caught before the whistle could have had any effect?

The IR rules are pretty explicit in disallowing review of a dead ball in player possession. Only loose balls, if they are immediately caught/recovered, may be reviewed.

I'm not sure if the R could not, in the case in question, throw the flag for IG. There is no rule specifically saying that it's not possible, although there is no rule supporting it, either.