# The Cowboys' new stadium **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 22, 2009, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cowboys-new-stadium/507311 "2009-08-22T15:04:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![ekweizn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7c8e57/32.png) [@ekweizn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekweizn)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cowboys-new-stadium/507311/61 "2009-08-28T22:22:36Z")
What’s interesting to me is that the do-over rule also nullifies all penalties except personal fouls, which leaves some interesting strategy decisions. Is it possible for a thrown ball to hit the screen? ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cowboys-new-stadium/507311/62 "2009-08-28T23:25:27Z")
You know, if a team with a tired D had to punt, couldn’t they just tell the punter to kick a couple off of the scoreboard to give their defence an extra rest? The punt coverage team would take a toll, of course. Edit: It’d probably be too risky to try this, but a kick off of the scoreboard would be a free timeout, too. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cowboys-new-stadium/507311/63 "2009-08-29T01:53:25Z")
> [@ekweizn](#): > > What’s interesting to me is that the do-over rule also nullifies all penalties except personal fouls, which leaves some interesting strategy decisions. Is it possible for a thrown ball to hit the screen? That’s the big one. Imagine dropping back to pass, everyone’s covered, and you’re able to fire the ball into the scoreboard for a do-over instead of throwing it out of bounds for an incompletion. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cowboys-new-stadium/507311/64 "2009-08-29T04:12:19Z")
Throwing it at the screen would, I expect, trigger an intentional grounding flag. To avoid that, the QB must be outside the pocket AND throw it towards the line of scrimmage. The screen is not towards the line of scrimmage. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cowboys-new-stadium/507311/65 "2009-08-29T04:33:22Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Throwing it at the screen would, I expect, trigger an intentional grounding flag. To avoid that, the QB must be outside the pocket AND throw it towards the line of scrimmage. The screen is not towards the line of scrimmage. I dunno…the ball would likely be thrown in the direction of the line of scrimmage, with a very steep arc. It might even cross the line of scrimmage before hitting the bottom of the screen. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cowboys-new-stadium/507311/66 "2009-08-29T05:17:25Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > If you’d like that, go watch the Arena League. That might be [tricky](http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=afp-amfootusaarena). > [@garygnu](#): > > Throwing it at the screen would, I expect, trigger an intentional grounding flag. To avoid that, the QB must be outside the pocket AND throw it towards the line of scrimmage. The screen is not towards the line of scrimmage. You’ll have to check the fine print on the rule, but the way the the press release reads this wouldn’t matter. It says “No penalties will count, other than personal fouls.” and therefore the possible Intentional Grounding violation would be moot. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cowboys-new-stadium/507311/67 "2009-08-29T05:39:11Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > …You’ll have to check the fine print on the rule, but the way the the press release reads this wouldn’t matter. It says “No penalties will count, other than personal fouls.” and therefore the possible Intentional Grounding violation would be moot. Frankly I’d be very surprised and impressed if any QB could throw a football 90+ feet vertically while under duress, but just to be sure: "Intentional grounding will be called when a passer, facing an imminent loss of yardage due to pressure from the defense, throws a forward pass without a realistic chance of completion. Intentional grounding will not be called when a passer, while out of the pocket and facing an imminent loss of yardage, throws a pass that lands at or beyond the line of scrimmage, even if no offensive player(s) have a realistic chance to catch the ball (including if the ball lands out of bounds over the sideline or end line)." Since the NFL doesn’t officially publish the full rulebook, I’m unsure if the hitting-the-scoreboard rule applies to throws. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cowboys-new-stadium/507311/68 "2009-08-29T06:00:21Z")
Thing is, throwing at the screen is risky. Miss, and it’s a live ball if anybody catches it. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cowboys-new-stadium/507311/69 "2009-08-29T06:04:50Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Frankly I’d be very surprised and impressed if any QB could throw a football 90+ feet vertically while under duress, but just to be sure: > > "Intentional grounding will be called when a passer, facing an imminent loss of yardage due to pressure from the defense, throws a forward pass without a realistic chance of completion. > > Intentional grounding will not be called when a passer, while out of the pocket and facing an imminent loss of yardage, throws a pass that lands at or beyond the line of scrimmage, even if no offensive player(s) have a realistic chance to catch the ball (including if the ball lands out of bounds over the sideline or end line)." > > Since the NFL doesn’t officially publish the full rulebook, I’m unsure if the hitting-the-scoreboard rule applies to throws. 😕 What’s your point? The way the rule is described in that release completely overrides all of this. It says very clearly that NO PENALTIES WILL COUNT except Personal Fouls. If the QB is grounding the ball or not is moot if it hits the scoreboard. > [@Oakminster](#): > > Thing is, throwing at the screen is risky. Miss, and it’s a live ball if anybody catches it. I’m not expecting anyone to make a habit of it, but if it happens just once under some bizarre circumstance it’ll be a media fiasco. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cowboys-new-stadium/507311/70 "2009-08-29T06:15:13Z")
From the sound of it the screen is so big you could throw it forward at an angle so if you don’t get it high enough it would land out of bounds. I remember back when they used to do skills competitions during the probowl week that quarterbacks would routinely throw the ball 60+ yards downfield. I can’t imagine throwing 90 feet vertically would be much harder than throwing it 180 feet horizontally. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cowboys-new-stadium/507311/71 "2009-08-29T07:09:13Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > …It says very clearly that NO PENALTIES WILL COUNT except Personal Fouls… Does that cover **all** instances when the ball hits the screen, or only kicks from scrimmage? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cowboys-new-stadium/507311/72 "2009-08-29T23:13:12Z")
FYI, the minor league Arena League 2 has not shut down. (it’s kind of funny when a minor league has its own minor league. ) I guess their costs are so low they can stick around even now. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cowboys-new-stadium/507311/73 "2009-08-31T02:11:32Z")
Suppose there are only a few seconds to go in a very tight game. It is 13-7, when a team scores a TD to tie the game. The extra point kick will decide the outcome. The ball is snapped, poorly, and the holder misses the ball. The kicker picks up the ball, turns around, and boots the ball up into the screen. Now what? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cowboys-new-stadium/507311/74 "2009-08-31T13:27:53Z")
I have _never_ seen a field goal snap that didn’t touch the holder. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cowboys-new-stadium/507311/75 "2009-08-31T13:36:26Z")
Three things come to mind in Zebra’s situation. First, it would have to be a field goal not an extra point, but that’s minor. Second, place kickers aren’t punters, usually they don’t even act as backup punters, so it’s unlikely the kicker would have the ability to hit the screen. Third, if the holder totally missed the snap, and the kicker was able to evade the rush long enough to turn around, pick up the ball and make a difficult punt into the screen while on the run, I’ll give him the do-over, just so I could see the highlight on SportsCenter. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cowboys-new-stadium/507311/76 "2009-08-31T13:54:49Z")
Most NFL special teams coaches do have kickers practice punting occasionally in case the regular punter gets injured during a game, though- and vice versa (remember Michael Koenen kicking a 51-yard field goal for Atlanta?) It’s pretty rare for any other player to be the emergency punter. Usually it’s a quarterback if so. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cowboys-new-stadium/507311/77 "2009-08-31T14:01:23Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > 1. What Jerry Jones wants, Jerry Jones gets. He has compromising pictures of 23 of the other 31 team owners. > > 2. It’s cheaper. _Haven’t you heard about the economy_? > > 3. The networks will get to run two sets of commercials in a row! That means you can hear the _Viva Viagra_ song fourteen times in one 3-hour game broadcast, and you’ll be reminded extra-regularly that Ford trucks are Built Ford Tough. > > 4. Proposals for the new video board location all restrict God’s view of His team. > > 5. Terrell Owens got cut; no danger of injury risk from massive ego bumping into board. > > 6. Allows Mat McBriar to remain competitive among NFL punters despite two missing knee ligaments. At least during home games. > > 7. Stadium construction crew all Mexican itinerant laborers; all went home due to slumping construction industry. Crazy border-watch militias mostly composed of Texans fans, unfortunately. > > If he can knock the ball 90 feet in the air while it’s rolling around on the ground, well, fuck, he _deserves_ a do-over. This post is really, really funny. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cowboys-new-stadium/507311/78 "2009-08-31T14:04:55Z")
I thought it was a keyboard-ruiner for sure but nobody else seems to have thought so. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cowboys-new-stadium/507311/79 "2009-08-31T14:12:01Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I thought it was a keyboard-ruiner for sure but nobody else seems to have thought so. It’s too close to being real. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![ekweizn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7c8e57/32.png) [@ekweizn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekweizn)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cowboys-new-stadium/507311/80 "2009-08-31T22:08:23Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > That’s the big one. Imagine dropping back to pass, everyone’s covered, and you’re able to fire the ball into the scoreboard for a do-over instead of throwing it out of bounds for an incompletion. Here’s my scenario: The Cowboys are at their opponent’s 45 yard line, down by 1, with 18 seconds remaining and no timeouts. On 3rd and 10, Romo completes a quick 8-yard pass to a receiver who is tackled inbounds at the 37; this takes about 5 seconds. There’s no time to bring on the kicking team nor to set up the next play, and you can’t spike the ball because it’s 4th down. If Romo can do it a reasonable percentage of the time, shouldn’t he receive the snap and chuck the ball at the screen for the opportunity to bring on the FG team? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cowboys-new-stadium/507311.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cowboys-new-stadium/507311.md?page=5)