Referee: Jeff Triplett on the extra timeout that was called in error

[DefenseRules]

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/

December 03, 2006
Pool report
A pool report from referee Jeff Triplette after today's game:

Q: The question is on the play on the goal line, two-yard line, a timeout was called by Detroit and they were out of timeouts. Why no punishment?
JT: The rule is real plain. It’s in the book. Any excess timeout granted in error outside of two minutes, we don’t penalize. We just put them back on the field and let them play on. The only penalty would be if it were a trying to freeze the kicker [situation]. In that situation, there would be a penalty, but that’s the rule. That’s what I explained to the coaches.

Q: So conceivably a team could do that…
JT: If they did that kind of in an unfair act or something…I think in this situation our guy just granted the timeout in error. So, best to ignore it, best to play on. We granted the timeout in error. We just put them back over the ball and went on.

Q: So basically it was your mistake to grant it?
JT: It was our crew mistake for granting the excess timeout in error.

Q: But there is no punishment?
JT: There is no punishment for our error in that situation.

That's his story and he's sticking to it. It sounds plausible, but I still think Triplette and his crew are a bunch of scrubs.
There was some BS being called out there today, IMO.

 

[DarrylS]

Not sure about this, but the penalty calling was very inconsistent and clearly on the side of the Lions. While the Pats played poorly, the penalty calling did not help.

 

[Rob0729]

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/


That's his story and he's sticking to it. It sounds plausible, but I still think Triplette and his crew are a bunch of scrubs.
There was some BS being called out there today, IMO.

If there was no time out, why wasn't the defensive player penalized for taking off his helmet on the field? The only time you can do that is when there was a time out.

It is all moot because we scored on the next play anyway and we ate the same amount of time off the clock as we would have if they didn't stop the clock, but it could have been costly.

Yet another in the long line of refs screw ups this season.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

If there was no time out, why wasn't the defensive player penalized for taking off his helmet on the field? The only time you can do that is when there was a time out.

It is all moot because we scored on the next play anyway and we ate the same amount of time off the clock as we would have if they didn't stop the clock, but it could have been costly.

Yet another in the long line of refs screw ups this season.

I believe the explanation is that there was an "excessive" time out, which under the rules is when an official mistakenly grants a time out that the team does not have. If it happens before the two minute warning of either half, or if it's for an injury (once), inside the two minute warning of either half, it's regarded as an "excessive" time out and there is no penalty and the time out is granted.

If the official concludes that it was deliberate outside of the two minutes, or that it's a faked injury, he can call unsportsmanlike or some other foul.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

http://www.nfl.com/features/rulebook/signals/08

The symbol is for delay of game or excess timeout.......

DELAY OF GAME
or EXCESS TIME OUT

Folded arms.
Maybe somebody could define what excess timeout means. To this guy, it means trying to call one when you don't have on eleft. Granted there was no harm as the Pats scored a TD on the next play but......Triplette and Luckett's crews (remember the coin toss) always seem to have controversy....

 

[dtbrks]

I was there and that call was aweful. Can't understand how they could blow that call so bad.

 

[Pats726]

That is so Bogus...so a player calls a time out WHICH the team doesn't have..the offensice rythym is stopped AND no penalty..what a bunch OF BS!!!
WHen is Goodell and the NFL going to clean up this mess called officiating??
That's it..in a situation like that just call atime out??? Why not..just do it the damn rule is in there..Totally terrible...and look at teh Giant game and an Illegal Crackback block..that never happened..These officials are pitiful and every week they are proved more and MORE wrong!! Is theer a site that tracks all these bogus calls so one can see how bad they are?? I think it is happening more an dmore and needs to be addressed!!

 

[40yrpatsfan]

Triplett was the ref in our Denver playoff game last year. He's the one referee in the league that I really dislike.

 

[FloridaPatsFan]

Watching the NFL the last few years has really opened my eyes about refereeing. While most of the Refs are honest and try to be fair, some are simply making a mess of the game.

I think that the refs are trying to keep most games competitive so that TV's are not being turned off too quickly and fans get to watch a competitive game. In short, they are trying to keep it interesting on the field.

My problem with this is that giving a team a few extra 1st downs or taking away big plays will catch up to you eventually and the team that deserved to win will lose and vice versa.

What I have noticed the last few years is there is too much refereeing. Bad calls are changing the outcome of the game. Today I saw the referees try to keep the game intersting and while the players don't talk about it publicly, the Pats are getting treated differently than the other teams they are playing.

I can't watch the NBA anymore because of horrible referees, I'm hoping that the NFL does'nt follow in the same steps any longer.

 

[QuiGon]

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/


That's his story and he's sticking to it. It sounds plausible, but I still think Triplette and his crew are a bunch of scrubs.
There was some BS being called out there today, IMO.

So why didn't he call the Lion guy for removing his helmet...?

 

[Mark Morse]

That is so Bogus...so a player calls a time out WHICH the team doesn't have..the offensice rythym is stopped AND no penalty..what a bunch OF BS!!!
WHen is Goodell and the NFL going to clean up this mess called officiating??
That's it..in a situation like that just call atime out??? Why not..just do it the damn rule is in there..Totally terrible...and look at teh Giant game and an Illegal Crackback block..that never happened..These officials are pitiful and every week they are proved more and MORE wrong!! Is theer a site that tracks all these bogus calls so one can see how bad they are?? I think it is happening more an dmore and needs to be addressed!!

Triplett announced after the Lions took their last Timeout that it was their last ... He knew and should have taken charge of the situation. As far as the player taking his helmet off ... I was screaming for a penalty, however, the whistle did blow and a timeout was granted by Triplett. I agree the league needs to step in on this and the fake injuries that the Lions used as well.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

Sounds like excess timeout penalty is either: (1) a time out called and granted that the team did not have after the 2 minute warning of either half, (2) a second injury stoppage inside of two minutes after you're out of time outs.

Why exactly is this giving people heartburn?

I can understand getting on whatever official allowed the timeout for not ignoring it. But I guess I don't really understand getting angry for the officials for not calling a penalty that doesn't exist.

 

[brdmaverick]

If there was no time out, why wasn't the defensive player penalized for taking off his helmet on the field? The only time you can do that is when there was a time out.

.

I was wondering the exact same thing, but I suppose that the explanation would be that even though the Lions did not have any timeouts to take, the ref granted them a time out (erroneously). Therefore, all the rules of a time out would then apply. Of course, when play was ruled to continue, then I believe he would have been flagged had he still had his helmet off.

This is a complete guess but I have a feeling the ref may have justified it as such.

 

[alamo]

From Reiss:

LB Paris Lenon (on calling timeout with none left):

"We were short one player so I called timeout. I thought that the referees would give me a penalty. The referee blew the whistle. I think because he blew the whistle so quick that pretty much saved us from getting a penalty."

That was actually a smart move by the Lions... where they were (the 4) the penalty of half the distance to the goal line is probably worth getting the right number of guys on the field.

 

[Brady'sButtBoy]

Although it had no impact, an overlooked but potentially significant effect of the 4th TO was the extra 25-30 seconds which ran off the clock after the officials sorted everything out. Instead of starting time when the ball is snapped as they do after a TO or a penalty, the refs waved the clock on as the Pats went back to huddle. So the net effect for the Lions was a good rest for the D, a chance to reset goal line personnel, and the loss of what could have been a very critical 25 seconds off the clock. Such ineptitude can't be allowed in a league which is just filthy rich.

The job by the refs was simply disgraceful for the entire game. Uneven, inconsistent, indecisive, this crew showed all of what is wrong with officiating in the NFL.

Ironically, if you trained the refs during the endless, mind numbing commercials every week, then they should be super heroes....

 

[Michael]

I cringed at the beginning of the game when I noticed this clown

was officiating in the game. He got at least two big calls wrong against Seattle in SB XL. Including one were he had a perfect view of the contact that brought Hasselbeck down and as a result should not have been a fumble (since the ground caused it and he was touched)but, argued that it was a fumble. As we see in the cap above. That was over turned on review. But, he sure was passionate about handing the ball back to Pitts.