End of the Bengals-Ravens Game

[Big D]

I've been watching football my entire life and I have never seen that happen before. Freaking brilliant!

For those that are unaware, Baltimore lined up to punt the ball to Cincy with 11 seconds left in the game up by seven. They snapped it to the punter who was only concerned with eating up the remaining seconds on the clock before stepping out of the back of the end zone for a safety.

Meanwhile at the snap, basically every single Raven on the field grabbed and obviously held a Cincinnati defender drawing flags galore. By rule, since the Ravens were on offense and the penalties occurred in-play, there was no untimed down awarded, so ballgame over.

Outstanding coaching! There was literally nothing the Bengals could do. Now that it's been done, expect to see this happen just about every single time a team faces this situation, which will inevitably prompt a rule change I'm sure.

 

[Dback Jon]

It was a brilliant coaching move.

I doubt the Cardinals would have thought of that.

 

[BillsCarnage]

Situational awareness. Smart move.

BA probably would have challenged the penalty.

 

[blindseyed]

And like you said, they'll make a rule against it

 

[b8rtm8nn]

I think Chip Kelly's defensive holding play a couple of weeks ago paved the way for this one. Both brilliant calls.

 

[Beaver]

I remember something similar to this in the SF/BAL Superbowl. It was awesome because I won the Q4 square with the safety.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

Wasn't it the Ravens who complained about the Patriots exploiting some rule like this not too long ago?

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[Jetstream Green]

The only problem with calling a brilliant play is that, well... the refs now do not know the rules and it could backfire on you lol

 

[Big D]

Wasn't it the Ravens who complained about the Patriots exploiting some rule like this not too long ago?

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Harbaugh thought they were lining up illegally when the Patriots went to some really strange formations when in fact they weren't. Brady joked about it after the game and said that maybe he needed to learn the rulebook.

Predictably, it ended up leading to a rule change.

 

[NJCardFan]

This isn't anything new although you don't see it often. There's actually a video, which I'm trying to find, where in a high school game they were doing the same thing only the ball carrier got caught from behind, got hit, fumbled, and the defense recovered for a TD to win the game.

 

[Russ Smith]

And like you said, they'll make a rule against it

There already is a rule against it they just didn't call it. The NFL has already said that the ref has some leeway but that if they had done it 2 plays in a row, they would have called a penalty on it and in theory they CAN call it the first time. It's essentially because it violates the spirit of the rules so the refs can essentially penalize the offense, reset the clock and make them run the play over now back I think 5 yards.

Harbaugh has done it before, that's presumably why the rule is there. The NFL didn't actually explain why they didn't call it the first time since the rule exists.

 

[Big D]

There already is a rule against it they just didn't call it. The NFL has already said that the ref has some leeway but that if they had done it 2 plays in a row, they would have called a penalty on it and in theory they CAN call it the first time. It's essentially because it violates the spirit of the rules so the refs can essentially penalize the offense, reset the clock and make them run the play over now back I think 5 yards.

Harbaugh has done it before, that's presumably why the rule is there. The NFL didn't actually explain why they didn't call it the first time since the rule exists.

"Palpably unfair act rule" which is basically a blanket cover all conceding that a team has outsmarted the rulebook and we are not going to let you get away with it.

They way they use it now and since it is purely a judgment call and still somewhat ambiguous, there is a "grace period" of one play. Generally then if it happens again that rule is enacted. One play was all Baltimore needed.


Yet another gray area within the rules.

 

[Russ Smith]

"Palpably unfair act rule" which is basically a blanket cover all conceding that a team has outsmarted the rulebook and we are not going to let you get away with it.

They way they use it now and since it is purely a judgment call and still somewhat ambiguous, there is a "grace period" of one play. Generally then if it happens again that rule is enacted. One play was all Baltimore needed.


Yet another gray area within the rules.

Yeah that's apparently the rule. I was a bit confused I thought it was the same rule that prevented a guy coming off the sideline to tackle a guy running in for a long TD that sort of thing. The rule allows the refs to either reset the play, or decide how much yards the guy reasonably would have gotten and award it, they can even award a TD apparently. It's to prevent a team from intentionally breaking the rules to prevent a score, and it actually does say repeatedly breaking the rules so apparently it does have to be more than once although the NFL seemed to be saying it didn't.

I guess the way it's written they have to warn you and if you do it again, that rule takes effect.

 

[DeAnna]

Hey, it smells like up-dog here.

 

[vince56]

Hey, it smells like up-dog here.

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[Kel Varnsen]

Hey, it smells like up-dog here.

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[itlnsunsfan]

Yeah that's apparently the rule. I was a bit confused I thought it was the same rule that prevented a guy coming off the sideline to tackle a guy running in for a long TD that sort of thing. The rule allows the refs to either reset the play, or decide how much yards the guy reasonably would have gotten and award it, they can even award a TD apparently. It's to prevent a team from intentionally breaking the rules to prevent a score, and it actually does say repeatedly breaking the rules so apparently it does have to be more than once although the NFL seemed to be saying it didn't.

I guess the way it's written they have to warn you and if you do it again, that rule takes effect.

Fascinating. So a player from the sideline, as long as it occurs only once, could tackle an opposing player to save a TD?

 

[Russ Smith]

Fascinating. So a player from the sideline, as long as it occurs only once, could tackle an opposing player to save a TD?

No there's a rule against that too that allows the ref to immediately decide what shouldhave happened including awarding a TD. The rule that the Ravens violated is different, it requires you do it more than once apparently.

The way I wrote that was confusing but that's what I meant when I said i was confused, they are NOT the same rule but have the same general idea, preventing teams from intentionally breaking rules to avoid a score.

I don't know how much leeway there is, for example the time Antron tackled a guy by the facemask to prevent a TD, not clear to me if the ref could have awarded a TD there or not.