Joe Tufaro is our resident official in training. While watching any of this week’s games if you find yourself questioning a call, jot down the game, specific play and your question and we will ask Joe! Comment below or Tweet Miranda @missmiranda.
Some questionable calls in the Cowboys vs. Browns game. There was one play where Dez Bryant ran into a defender and they were called for illegal contact.
Here is another example of announcers officiating the game for the audience.
I saw this game and this play and heard the explanation that the defender has the same right to a piece of turf as does the defender.
Well, not quite.
If a receiver is making a move to the outside or inside, you cannot simply block his path, you need to be doing something football related. If the defender was jumping the route that would have been fine, or if he got run over, then the offender would have been Dez Bryant. When an official in this NFL sees contact outside the 5 yard area, he needs to determine if the defender was just blocking the route, or playing the play.
Very difficult, and in this NFL they always favor the offense.
The officials missed a false start in the fourth quarter that led them to their last touchdown. What happened here?
The official on the sideline has many responsibilities prior to the snap. He must communicate to the official across the field about the position of the receivers, count the players on defense, count the players in the backfield, and then they concentrate looking down the line of scrimmage.
Depending on the number of receivers on the line, the view isn’t that great looking from the opposite side of the field, and when a player starts a split second early while moving backwards, it’s not always as clear as it is from the camera above.
Not saying the official didn’t miss it, but it happens.
Oh the touchdown call in the Denver vs. San Diego. What happened here?
Funny you should ask. When the Chargers receiver appeared to bobble the ball while going to the ground in the end zone, one key part of the play was discussed, then dismissed before the replay confirmed the call:
When a player catches, controls, and possess the ball in bounds in the field of play and breaks the plane of the goal line — it is a Touchdown. The play ends when the plane is broken.
When a player catches, controls, possess the ball in the End Zone, he must continue to maintain control through the catch to the ground. The difference here is where did the catch end and the run begin. In this case he was a runner after catching a pass and he broke the plane of the goal line.
Simple call really.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @tufdan
