Interpretation of "off side" penalty

[FrustratedFan04]

It's alls well that ends well but I still have a question.

On that "spike" play. Does the Ref have some responsibility to make sure both sides are set before placing the ball in play? I mean correct me if I'm wrong but is he's not suppossed to be concerned the Cowboys were out of time outs and put the ball in play as quickly as he could, is he?

I mean if he wanted to a Ref could always rush up to the line and place the ball down with players on the other side of the scrimage line, couldn't he?

I thought the remedy for that was a delay of game call? Isn't that why it was critical to determine if LaBoy were injured or not? If injured there's no delay penalty. But off-sides????????

 

[dogpoo32]

Head scratching calls all day. Maybe because he got up and tried to get off, they called him?

 

[Spielman]

Head scratching calls all day. Maybe because he got up and tried to get off, they called him?

*shrug*

Regardless, what should have happened was a timeout called from the sidelines right before the Cowboys got the snap off, avoiding the penalty and still running almost all the time off the clock.

 

[Pariah]

Does the Ref have some responsibility to make sure both sides are set before placing the ball in play?

No. The Cowboys have every right to hurry to the line and get the play off as fast as they can. It's the defenses responsibility to get onsides.

 

[FrustratedFan04]

No. The Cowboys have every right to hurry to the line and get the play off as fast as they can. It's the defenses responsibility to get onsides.

I'm not questioning the Cowboys desire to hurry, I'm talking about the Ref. He's the one that has to set the ball in play. Just because the Offesnse hurrys to the line why does that dictate the tempo of the play? The Ref can ALWAYS put the ball in play with a Defender behind the line if that's what he chooses to do. I'll say again. If a defender lags to the line, then it's delay of game. You can't be "off side". That's why they kept questioning if he were injured. If the Ref can put the ball in play regardless of the Defenders positions on the field then why would an injury matter. If that's the case then it'd be better to injure a defender and then run up to the line.

 

[Pariah]

I'm not questioning the Cowboys desire to hurry, I'm talking about the Ref.

If it were the cardinals, would you still want the ref to wait for the Cowboys to get onsides?

It's the offense's clock. They set the tempo, not the refs.

I have no problem with that call.

 

[abomb]

I have no problem with that call.

I have a problem with the fact that the offsides call was not made on the field. It was made after the Cowboys complained and jumped up and down.

 

[slanidrac16]

Everybody involved on that play is between a rock and a hard place.
1. If the refs blow the whistle becuase of an injured player , we are screaming about them stopping the clock because it was no sure thing the Cowboys would get the play off.
2. If Whiz calls a time out to avoid the penalty then he is responsible for stopping the clock for the Cowboys.

I doubt the refs even seen Laboy on the field or they might have blown a whistle for an injured player since the play was over and then charged the Cards with a timeout. That's probably what should have happened. It will be interesting to see what Ferarra( te ref dude on NFL Network) says about that play.

 

[ajcardfan]

I have a problem with the fact that the offsides call was not made on the field. It was made after the Cowboys complained and jumped up and down.

That's what I was wondering about. Once a play is blown dead, how can they change their minds and throw a flag? I thought penalties had to be called during the play. I know they can be called on reviews (since it happened to us once, the only time I've ever seen it) but wasn't the case with that flag.

 

[Duckjake]

That's what I was wondering about. Once a play is blown dead, how can they change their minds and throw a flag? I thought penalties had to be called during the play. I know they can be called on reviews (since it happened to us once, the only time I've ever seen it) but wasn't the case with that flag.

See thats where you make your mistake. Penalties can be called, and have been, against the Cards during the play, after the play, and if noticed during any review of the play.

 

[Duckjake]

*shrug*

Regardless, what should have happened was a timeout called from the sidelines right before the Cowboys got the snap off, avoiding the penalty and still running almost all the time off the clock.

That is ridiculous. Where do you come up with this stuff? During a Rams timeout?

 

[stewdog1]

See thats where you make your mistake. Penalties can be called, and have been, against the Cards during the play, after the play, and if noticed during any review of the play.

He must be new.

 

[Fiasco]

See thats where you make your mistake. Penalties can be called, and have been, against the Cards during the play, after the play, and if noticed during any review of the play.

Hell, the referee crew for the Panther game is already calling penalties on the Cardinals and that game doesn't happen until after the bye week.

 

[Stout]

By rule, it should have been a timeout charged to the Cardinals and no penalty. Then again, we were held to a different, warped set of rules yesterday.

 

[Totally_Red]

By rule, it should have been a timeout charged to the Cardinals and no penalty. Then again, we were held to a different, warped set of rules yesterday.

If it's an obvious injury that's true. It really seemed like no one noticed Laboy upfield until AFTER the play. At that point it's a fait accompli. As Troy Aikman said on the broadcast, that FG is short without the five yard penalty.

 

[WisconsinCard]

Another thing to consider the right tackle wasn't set for 1 second before the ball was snapped. He barely got his hand on the ground. That could have easily been false start and a 10 second run off game over, or off-setting penalties. I watched it over and over and I still say he wasn't set.

 

[Sandan]

No. The Cowboys have every right to hurry to the line and get the play off as fast as they can. It's the defenses responsibility to get onsides.

Wrong, the refs should have called an injury timeout, yet another attempt to hand Cowboys the game.

LaBoy was injured that why he couldn't get off the field.

 

[FJM]

Just think a minute. If the Cowpies lost in regulation they wouldn't have lost Romo for next four or more weeks. They might not make the play-offs.

FJM

 

[NMCard]

Wrong, the refs should have called an injury timeout, yet another attempt to hand Cowboys the game.

LaBoy was injured that why he couldn't get off the field.

I thought the cards should have called the timeout?

 

[abomb]

Wrong, the refs should have called an injury timeout, yet another attempt to hand Cowboys the game.

LaBoy was injured that why he couldn't get off the field.

The refs never saw the injured player. That is what kills me the most.

 

[ajcardfan]

I thought the cards should have called the timeout?

Whisenhunt on the radio this morning said he had no idea LaBoy was down there or he would've called a timeout.

 

[joeshmo]

Wrong, the refs should have called an injury timeout, yet another attempt to hand Cowboys the game.

LaBoy was injured that why he couldn't get off the field.

Wrong, the refs do not call a timeout in that situation. The only time the refs calls an injury timeout is when the player stays on the ground and has to have a trainer come to his aid. It is why you see players try to hobble off the field only to be told by teammates to fall to the ground. If Laboy was injured he should have stayed or laid on the ground on the ground and he would have got the timeout call. Refs do not call injury timeouts for players limping off the field, they never have.

It was without a doubt the right call to make and the penalty was the fault of Laboy for not knowing this and for the coaching staff for not calling a timeout. It is why the booth called for a review to see if Laboy was laying on the ground or not.

 

[nashman]

As someone mentioned just think the overtime hurt the Cowgirls now that Romo got hurt. We may have actually knocked the Cowpies out of the playoffs in week 6 haha how funny would that be. The refs tried their best to screw us and we didn't let it happen thats a HUGE step for this team!

 

[Big Deal]

Not to beat a dead horse, but isn't the defensive offside penalty called and then the clock should keep running? It happend earlier on the same drive where the Cardinals were offsides, the cowboys got a five yard gift, but the clock continued to tick. They even made mention of it during the telecast.

 

[gusmahler]

Not to beat a dead horse, but isn't the defensive offside penalty called and then the clock should keep running? It happend earlier on the same drive where the Cardinals were offsides, the cowboys got a five yard gift, but the clock continued to tick. They even made mention of it during the telecast.

Not correct. Here's what the rule book says (Emphasis added):

Note: If the game clock was stopped for a foul by either team (whether penalty is accepted or declined), it will be started when the ball is declared ready for play; except when the foul occurred after the two-minute warning of the first half, or the last five minutes of the second half, in which case the clock starts on the snap.

Rule 4-3-1.