C-USA Championship Game clip request

[Diablo]

The answer is yes, any dead ball signal has the same result as a whistle under NCAA.  4-1-2-a

To document that, 4-1-2-a reads, "A live ball becomes a dead ball as provided in the rules or when an official sounds his whistle (even though inadvertently) or otherwise signals the ball dead (A.R. 4-2-1-II and A.R. 4-2-4-I)."

And 4-1-2-b reads, "If an official sounds his whistle inadvertently or otherwise signals the ball dead during a down (Rules 4-1-3-k and m):"   
The inadvertent whistle options appear after the ":".

Note, both passages read "... or otherwise signals the ball dead ..."  Neither state and otherwise signals the ball dead.

Disclaimer:  Relative to this particular situation, the rule may be different in the NFL.

[TXMike]

Apparently in  the NFL, it is impossible for an official to mistakenly use hand signals, only possible for him to mistakenly toot the whistle.

http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/image/rulebook/pdfs/10_Rule7_BallInPlay_DeadBall_Scrimm.pdf

7-2-1-n

[FLBJ]

Article 3 in the rule appears even more specific...

Article 3: Ball Touches Official. The ball is not dead because it touches an official who is inbounds, or
because of a signal by an official other than a whistle.

[TXMike]

Things are starting to make sense now.  Wonder if any conferences without a NFL-type as the coordinator would also only focus on whether or not a whistle was blown?

[TXMike]

Rom Gilbert made an excellent observation today about this play.   He believes the B saw the apparent lack of interest in playing the ball by Team B so shut it down under the theory that nobody was going to play it.  Of course, he should wait until the ball actually stops moving, but this theory does make some sense.  Certainly an official at this level would not think the mere batting of a ball by Team A would cause the ball to become dead.

[El Macman]

Certainly an official at this level would not think the mere batting of a ball by Team A would cause the ball to become dead.

Certainly shouldn't, and he certainly should recognize the illegal batting and get the flag down.

[Morningrise]

4th and 11 at the A-10. A's punt bounces at the 50 and rebounds to the A-45, where A99 bats it toward B's goal line.
a) B22 recovers the ball at the B-44 and runs for a touchdown.
b) The ball comes to rest at the B-44 and no one attempts to secure it.
c) The ball comes to rest at the B-46 and no one attempts to secure it.
d) An official inadvertently signals the clock to stop while the ball is loose at the B-46.

a) A's penalty for illegal batting is declined by rule. B will decline the illegal touching privilege. Touchdown.
b) B can accept the penalty for illegal batting from the previous spot, half the distance: A 4/16 @ A-5. B could also accept the penalty from the spot where the dead ball belongs to B, ten yards: B 1/10 @ A-46; but this is less advantageous than accepting the illegal touching, B 1/10 @ A-45.
c) Same, except "tacking on" A's foul from the dead ball spot becomes more advantageous than accepting the illegal touching. A 4/16 @ A-5 or B 1/10 @ A-44.
d) The result of the play is an IW during a scrimmage kick play and the down would be replayed if everything else were declined. B can still accept the penalty from the previous spot, but cannot "tack it on" because the subsequent dead ball does not belong to B. B can also still accept the illegal touching privilege. A 4/16 @ A-5 or B 1/10 @ A-45.

[TXMike]

The CUSA punt play made the 2013 CFO Preseason Video.  RR highlighted everything we have discussed, i.e. illegall bat, illegal touch, inadvert signal, L getting the ball for next play, Team A letting up but he added something. He said IR could have stepped in as this was an "egregious error" and IR could have ruled ball dead at spot where B ruled it was dead.  Not sure if he means that then the crew could have dealt with the illegal batting/illegal touching component or if he is just saying, give B the ball at that dead ball spot.