Connect with us

Officiating Dept. Video

Officiating video: pass interference causing a force-out, and the instant replay process under 2 minutes

Senior vice president of officiating Al Riveron has released his media tape from the action from Week 7.

Published

on

Senior vice president of officiating Al Riveron has released his media tape from the action from Week 7, focusing in on two plays and explaining how they are officiated by both the on-field officials and those who weigh in from Art McNally Gameday Central in New York.
Forcing a receiver out of bounds by pass interference
In the first play, from the Vikings-Lions game, Minnesota tight end Olabisi Johnson was interfered and significantly hindered by Detroit defender Justin Coleman, forcing the the tight end out of the back of the end zone. Johnson was able to re-establish with both feet in the end zone, and became the first player to touch the ball, only to have it intercepted by the Lions.
If a player is forced out of bounds by foul, he does not become ineligible, as he normally would if he voluntarily went out of bounds and then re-established. Since Johnson was forced out by foul, he was legally allowed to be the first player to touch the ball, since he legally re-established. If he had not re-established, the pass would have been incomplete immediately if he had touched the ball before any other player. If he had caught the ball after being forced out by foul, it would be a touchdown for Minnesota.
Replay review process inside of the two-minute warning
In a late fourth quarter play from the Chargers-Titans, down judge Phil McKinnely ruled touchdown on a Los Angeles running play, but after an automatic review, the play was reversed to down short of the goal line. In this scenario, since the ruling on the field was changed, and the change impacted the status of the game clock (stopped to running), a 10-second runoff must be taken. Los Angeles did not have any timeouts remaining, and therefore, they could not prevent this runoff.
On the following play, the Chargers ran another run play, and McKinnely ruled the running back short of the goal line. This play also went to review, and it was determined with clear and obvious visual evidence that the runner fumbled the ball prior to crossing the goal line, and it was recovered by a Titans defender in the end zone. This play was properly reversed to a fumble recovery by Tennessee. In this circumstance, the status of the clock changed in the opposite direction than in the play before (running to stopped), so the clock was reset to the time when the ball should have been declared dead, and the clock started on the next snap.
https://streamable.com/9ummx

Cam Filipe is a forensic scientist from Massachusetts and has been involved in football officiating for 11 years. Cam is in his third season as a high school football official. This is his eighth season covering NFL officiating for Football Zebras.

Continue Reading
Advertisement