there once a time in professional football when the player scoring a touchdown had to possess the ball, and actually be in the end zone? If so, when did the rule change? If not, do you think there is more emphasis on the language of the rule due to the implementation of instant replay? –Jeff Blount, Stoneham, Mass.
College football began officially in 1869, with the Rutgers-Princeton game. The NFL began in 1920, and at that time, they used the collegiate rulebook. The professional rules then slowly evolved from the college rules.
I have researched the professional rules back as far as 1949
and can find no definition of a touchdown that requires the ball to be physically touched to the ground in player possession in the opponents’ end zone. I believe that Hall of Famer, Gino Cappelletti, was exaggerating when he made his statement. The plane of the goal line has been the touchdown criterion all the way back to the late 1940s, but, there is a strong possibility that somewhere in the distant past, the ball had to be touched
down in the end zone to score a touchdown. Obviously, the word “touchdown” came from some directive in the rules. I am sorry that I cannot give you a more definitive answer, as I have only been around football for 50 years.
If a receiver catches a ball near the sideline and is
pushed out by a defensive back before getting both feet in, an official may rule it a catch. Would the same rules apply for a defender attempting an interception if pushed out by an offensive player? –Mike B., Chicago
“A pass is completed or intercepted if a player in bounds
would have landed in bounds with both feet but is carried or pushed out of bounds while in possession of the ball in the air. The player must maintain possession of the ball when he lands out of bounds.” This quote is directly from the NFL rule book. The answer to your question is, yes, a defender attempting to intercept a pass gets the same consideration that an offensive player would get.
Are you the same Jerry Markbreit from the Miller Lite “Man Law” commercials? If so I admire you for having the sense of humor and humility to do them, I think those commercials are great. –Stacey Homeret, San Diego
Yes, I am the same Jerry Markbreit. And, although, I have not seen the commercial, I am glad to hear that it is running. The filming was done in late July. I am glad that you enjoyed it. I have always prided myself on having a good sense of humor in all of my endeavors.
In the Giants-Titans game, Mathias Kiwanuka grabbed Titans quarterback Vince Young. He held onto him and pushed him backwards, stopping his forward progress. Why didn’t the official blow the play dead with the QB “in the grasp”? If Kiwanuka brought Young down, it would have been roughing the passer. –Peter K., Marietta, Ga.
In order to have an “in the grasp” play, the quarterback must be in the grasp of the defender with another defender bearing down on the quarterback. The referee has the right, under the rules, to whistle the play dead in order to protect the quarterback from the second hit. Vince Young was in the grasp of a player with no one else on the defensive team bearing down on him. In this case, the referee correctly ruled that the play should continue. If Kiwanuka had followed through and merely tackled the quarterback, it would not have been roughing the passer.
Jerry, can you explain what happened in the San Diego-Oakland game? The Chargers’ Vincent Jackson caught a 13-yard pass from Philip Rivers, rolled to the ground untouched, then stood up and spun the ball forward. Oakland’s Fabian Washington jumped
on the ball, believing it was a fumble, and setting off 10 minutes of confusion as the referees sorted it out. The ruling was illegal forward pass and the Chargers were flagged but kept possession. Shouldn’t there been a loss of down, too? –Patrick Flynn, Hadley, Mass.
The NFL rule states that a forward pass thrown from beyond the line by an offensive player is a five-yard penalty and a loss of down. However, in this case, even with the five-yard penalty from the spot of the foul, San Diego was still beyond the line to gain. Consequently, it was first down for San Diego because a new series had been established. You can’t have the loss of down on a play if a first down is made. If it had been fourth down
for San Diego and after the five-yard penalty they had not made the line to gain, the ball would have been awarded to Oakland.
Regarding the Oakland-San Diego play, is it possible for there to be two infractions on the same play, i.e. not only was there a second forward pass, but the second forward pass was thrown when the passer was past the line of scrimmage? If so, the second infraction would include a loss of down, and Oakland would take over on downs. –Tim Shannon, El Macero, Calif.
It is possible for there to be multiple infractions on the same
Play, but, in this case, the only foul was an illegal forward pass from beyond the line of scrimmage. The penalty is five yards from the spot of the pass and a loss of down. The rule concerning a second forward pass by the offense during a play is only in effect when a second forward pass is thrown from behind the line of scrimmage. Because the line to gain was made
by San Diego after the five-yard penalty was administered, the loss of down portion of the enforcement disappeared and San Diego had a first down.
The forward pass ruling in the Raiders-Chargers game has sparked the following debate among my friends: If a QB throws a forward pass after he has crossed the line of scrimmage – an illegal forward pass – and it is intercepted, does the interception stand? –Bob Nasser, Falls Church, Va.
The NFL rules state that, “when any illegal pass is caught or
intercepted, the ball may be advanced and the penalty declined.” If the defensive team intercepts, the play continues and they can decline the penalty. If the offensive team catches their illegal forward pass, the play also continues and the defense has the option of taking the result of the play or having the penalty administered from the spot of the pass with the down counting or from the previous line of scrimmage if the illegal pass was
thrown from behind the line of scrimmage. In this case, there would not be a loss of down attached to the penalty.
If a quarterback attempts a forward pass from his end zone and the pass is illegally touched by an offensive lineman, why is a safety not called? This seems to a form of intentional grounding in that there was no expectation of completing the pass. –Mike Larrabee, Woodbridge, Va.
The penalty for illegal touching of a forward pass by an ineligible offensive player is five yards from the previous line of scrimmage and a replay of the down. The defense may also decline the penalty, which would then result in an incomplete pass and the next down would prevail. Intentional grounding in the end zone would be a safety, but illegal touching is not enough for a grounding call. The quarterback under pressure, who deliberately throws the ball into the back of an ineligible
offensive player, would incur an intentional grounding call.
Are there any rules on what an NFL coach can and can not wear? –Paul Begnaud, Beaumont, Texas
The official sponsor of NFL clothing is Reebok. All clothing worn by an NFL coach must be manufactured by Reebok and carry the Reebok logo.
Hi, Jerry, my buddies and I are having an argument about why some stadiums show (or did) show replay of the plays
that are being reviewed on the Jumbotron. I say it’s
like the MLB umps and in their union contract that it’s not allowed if it’s a close play to save them from the jeers. But I seem to recall a few years ago in the NFL that the stadiums did. Is it up to the individual home teams or doesn’t the NFL officials union prohibit it now? Also, I met you in Atlanta during your last year on the field (I believe 1998). I still have a great picture of you that I took that day. –Emory, Delray Beach, Fla.
The San Francisco at Atlanta divisional playoff game was my final NFL assignment. I am glad that we had a chance to meet. Most NFL stadiums have in-house TV cameras independent of the
network cameras. The in-house shots are shown often on the Jumbotrons. When a play is challenged for replay by the teams or the replay official, the only pictures that can be shown on the Jumbotron once the referee has announced that a play has been challenged is the network line feed that you are watching on your television set. The in-house shots must stop once the announcement has been made.
