Well, I’ve recently learned that a game can’t end on offsetting penalties, but I’ve got some other questions:
Is there such a thing as non-offsetting penalties? Let’s say that the defense jumps offsides a bit – the officials throw a flag but they let the play continue. During the play, the offense commits a personal foul or unsportsmanlike conduct penalty or something? What would the result be? Would they enforce both [a 10 yard “net” penalty for the offense]? Enforce one? Or do two penalties always offset?
Every once in a while, right before a kickoff, there’s a shot of the receiver and he counting something. I assume he’s counting members of the kicking team, but to what end? Is he just double checking that they didn’t sneak an extra guy or two in there?
This one may be more of an IMHO…
Why is it not intentional grounding if the passer is out of the pocket? I understand the reasoning for a rule against intentional grounding, but why is there an exception?
I agree with Reeder but I may add to #3 that the rule also protects the QB. The blitz is at full steam by the time the QB is out of the pocket. From my own observations (correct me if I’m wrong), most QB injuries occur outside of the pocket. If the QB can ground the ball where he is most vulnerable to injury, it negates the incentive for the defense to break every bone in his body.
I believe that the main purpose of the (relatively new) “not intentional grounding if you’re outside the tackle” rule is to keep more quarterbacks alive/healthy. Once a quarterback is outside the tackles he’s no longer forced to attempt to run to avoid a sack or penalty.
I gonna split hairs here. Reeder is not exactly correct in question #1. Penalties DO NOT ALWAYS offset. If a player from team “A” is really naughty he may be ejected from the game even if team “B” commits a penalty. In this case team “A” will suffer the penalty of losing a player and team “B” will suffer nothing.
In the NFL, there may be offsetting penalties, but they don’t always result in the down being replayed.
For example, if on a punt, the kicking team holds someone and the receiving team clips someone, the penalties offset, but the receiving team gets to keep the ball where the play ended.
He’s counting his own teammates? I had always assumed it was the coaches’ job to make sure there were 11 guys out there. Is there a player responsible for this on every down? Or is it just something a kick returner does because it’s one of the more dangerous jobs and he wants to make sure he has the protection he’s supposed to have?
I think a team pays extra attention to the number of players they have on the field during special teams plays because that’s when they’re most likely to make a mistake and have too many. All the players should know their assignments on offense or defense. If a starter is injured, there are plans for who will replace him and how the positions will adjust. But special teams are sort of cobbled together out of whoever can do the job. Teams don’t practice them as much and that can lead to confusion.
But once the team is out on the field and the kick returner is counting his teammates, what’s he going to do if there are too many? I suppose it’s worth using a timeout if the penalty would be enough to give the other team a first down.
And strictly speaking, if he’s counting his teammates, there ought to be ten.
I do know from being on the sidelines at high school football games, that one coach always yells to the punt or kick returner as he goes out there
“COUNT 'EM!”
Why is “spiking the ball” to stop the clock not considered intentional grounding? Is it a special rule whereby you’re sacrificing a down in exchange for the clock stoppage?
That is correct. When it is obvious that the QB is intending to stop the clock, he is allowed to spike the ball in the pocket without being called for intentional grounding.
Apparently the rule says that only the QB can do this. In the now famous Giants-49ers playoff game last weekend, Cris Collinsworth (the color guy) was saying that all the place holder had to do was spike the ball into the ground after the bad snap and they could have tried again from the same spot. This isn’t true though, as he would have been called for intentional grounding.
Actually, the rule doesn’t specify that only the quarterback may spike the ball without penalty, but it does require that whoever spikes it has to be right up under center when he receives the ball to spike it.
To clarify even further, it must be the person in the quarterback position in a T formation. The QB cannot spike it in a shotgun formation, or a kicking situation.
I think the reason that the kick returner counts is that there is no huddle on that play. If there are not the right number of people on the field during a regular play it will be noticed in the huddle but on punt returns since there is no huddle someone needs to count.
I returned punts in high school and college, and I can say that you’re all right.
On the sidelines, players tend to hang around other players from their position. This is because that’s who they spend the most time with, and because it makes it easier for coaches to find players for meetings and stuff.
Special teams are typically made up of a combination of players from different positions on offense and defense. It’s often a completely different 11 men than was out there on the play before. Sometimes the guys from a certain position will be meeting with their coach (or just not paying attention) when it’s time to return a punt, and they won’t realize that they’re supposed to be on the field. The punt returner is in an ideal position to see all the players on the field, so the job of making sure everyone is out there usually falls to him. If there are too few or too many players, you’re supposed to let people know that you’re one player light or heavy, and if you can’t fix it before the play starts, call a timeout.
I counted partially because I was told to do so, partially out of concern for the team’s well-being, and partially out of concern for my own well-being. punt returns are pretty scary – even more so when we’ve only got 9 guys to block their 11.