Spiking rule

[BadMoFo]

Another idiotic post by the guys at PFT. I posted it here so no one has to click on their site. If it is a judgement call, idiot. I'm sure those five yards would have made a huge difference in the game.

POSTED 12:25 p.m. EDT, September 17, 2007

NEW 'NO SPIKING' RULE NEEDS WORK by Michael David Smith

One of the NFL's new rules this season is a five-yard delay of game penalty on any player who spikes the ball on any non-scoring play. Yesterday Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey and Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens were both flagged for violating the rule.

The rule itself doesn't seem like a big deal, but it's clear from the way the rule was enforced (and not enforced) yesterday that the league didn't do a good enough job of thinking through the ramifications of the rules change.

Shockey committed his spike (actually, it was more like using one hand to bat the ball out of his other hand, but whatever) after a 14-yard catch on third-and-4. Packers defensive end Aaron Kampman had jumped offside on the play, and the officials ruled that the penalties offset, meaning they would re-play third-and-4.

Although NFL spokesman Greg Aiello tells me via e-mail that it was enforced properly, it seems like a strange way to enforce it. Shockey's penalty happened after the play was over, so the Giants should have been allowed to decline the offside, take the result of the play, and then have Shockey's penalty enforced prior to the next play, not as part of the previous play.

That's how it worked with the Owens spike, which he committed after a 28-yard catch on third-and-15. Owens' catch counted, but the Cowboys were moved back five yards from the spot where Owens was tackled.

Essentially, the way this rule is enforced means the Dolphins would have been much better off if they had committed a penalty on the play where Owens got his 28-yard catch.

Meanwhile, Patriots receiver Wes Welker spiked the ball after a catch against the Chargers last night, in plain view of at least one official, and there was no penalty. Aiello says, "it's a judgment call and the crew did not believe it was blatant enough to be penalized."

If the rule can't be enforced uniformly and in a way that everyone can understand, the league shouldn't have added it.

 

[unoriginal]

The upshot of all that is that Ed "Guns" Hochuli and his crew aren't the kind to give out speeding tickets at the Indy 500.

Just about the only extracurricular activity I saw get flagged was when three Chargers slammed and batted Brady's head into the FieldTurf.

A few questionable pass-interference calls aside, both teams got to just play ball.

 

[PatsDeb]

We saw that spike in the stands and were actually surprised it didn't get flagged. I think it's a dumb rule and maybe some of the officials think so too.

 

[desi-patsfan]

i wonder if the person doing the spiking has an effect...Wes Welker isnt exactly known for being a guy that celebrates or shows off.

 

[Lampshade]

There were a number of spikes not called in various games yesterday; at least one of which was in the Miami-Dallas game. Surely referencing that one would have made more sense.

 

[patsox23]

Welker was clearly INSTANTLY aware of the F up and was lucky to get away with it. AS WAS THE CHARGER who did it later in the game - I think Asante ran over to an official right away. They didn't throw the flag either time, fine with me.

 

[onegameatatime]

Didn't Welker have a spike in game 1 too? So did Pennington.

Seems to me it should be limited to "serious" spikes however you define that. Someday, a guy will drop the ball with a little gusto and it will be called at exactly the wrong time.

 

[PatsDeb]

Just saw the Shockey spike on NFLN. Clearly more "blatant" than Welker, like a taunt. They must only be calling "serious spikes" as someone else said, and maybe more on known showboaters like Shockey & TO.