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RGrabber
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Watching games yesterday I came upon the Northwestern / Michigan game at the very end.
With 11 seconds left Michigan catches a pass but it is not a 1st down. They run the field goal team on to the field and kick a game tieing field goal with 1 second left:
First question, why to referees run to set the ball up for play only in the last minute of a game when on every other play they move at a regular pace. Three minutes early in the game it might take eight or nine seconds just to set the ball. They do not do this at the end of the first half. It seems a benefit to the offensive team. They also do it slowly if the offensive team is in victory formation.
Second, since there was change of players, why did they not give Northwestern the opportunity to make changes as they do with any fast paced offense that changes personnel. The explanation given to Northwestern was that they do not have to give the defense a chance to change if it is the last play of the half or of the game.
Seems strange. How does the referee know if any play is the last play of the half or game.
Simple possibility, what if there was a bad snap on the play, the kicker picks up the ball and throws a pass on which a pass interference call is made. The last play of the game (in the refs mind) turns out not to be.
In fact, theoretically a game could go on forever with continuous defensive penalties. I understand that is far fetched, but the point is that the ref never really knows what the last play of the half will be.
With 11 seconds left Michigan catches a pass but it is not a 1st down. They run the field goal team on to the field and kick a game tieing field goal with 1 second left:
First question, why to referees run to set the ball up for play only in the last minute of a game when on every other play they move at a regular pace. Three minutes early in the game it might take eight or nine seconds just to set the ball. They do not do this at the end of the first half. It seems a benefit to the offensive team. They also do it slowly if the offensive team is in victory formation.
Second, since there was change of players, why did they not give Northwestern the opportunity to make changes as they do with any fast paced offense that changes personnel. The explanation given to Northwestern was that they do not have to give the defense a chance to change if it is the last play of the half or of the game.
Seems strange. How does the referee know if any play is the last play of the half or game.
Simple possibility, what if there was a bad snap on the play, the kicker picks up the ball and throws a pass on which a pass interference call is made. The last play of the game (in the refs mind) turns out not to be.
In fact, theoretically a game could go on forever with continuous defensive penalties. I understand that is far fetched, but the point is that the ref never really knows what the last play of the half will be.
