Hold the line: Examining 2 safety calls from Sunday

Safety or not a safety? That is the question.

Late in the fourth quarter, the 49ers were backed up to their goalposts with a 2nd & 10 from their own 6. While Mac Jones was scrambling in the end zone, a flag flew in from umpire Duane Heydt. Jones escaped to get back to the line of scrimmage. On the play 49ers guard Dominick Puni was called for holding while Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell was rushing. This resulted in a safety.

Even though Jones is in the end zone when the foul is called, the foul spot — and the ultimate determination of a safety — is where the holding originates. That origination point can change if there is a release and another hold or if a more severe action, such as a takedown, occurs in the end zone. In cases where an official has to determine a safety or not, the accepted practice is to start with the less severe sanction and work back from there. So, the idea is to start with it not being a safety, and then determine if the actions of the play override that.

If offensive holding is going to be called on this play, the location of the foul is around the 3 and not in the end zone. Therefore it would be penalized half-distance from the 6, or declined for a 3rd & 10). The lack of significant hindrance, though, leads to a better call being no flag at all.

Replay can review a foul spot as it relates to a safety, but it can only judge where the engagement begins and not make any subjective decision on holding. In most cases with holding, though, these calls stand, because there is little objective criteria to create a reversal.

Earlier in the fourth quarter, Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray escaped a rush in the other end zone and was flagged for intentional grounding. Murray was standing in the end zone but referee John Hussey announced that the foul occurred in the field of play.

How is this not a safety? pic.twitter.com/1uJJIM1zod

— Coach Yac (@Coach_Yac) September 21, 2025

For intentional grounding, the spot of the foul is where the ball is when it releases from the hand. It may start out in the end zone on the wind up, but if it is released beyond the plane of the goal line, it is not a safety. In this situation, it was correct to spot the ball at the 1, the spot of the foul.

As we said replay can review a foul spot. There is more objective criteria as to when the pass is released, and given the definitive camera angle, replay can easily assist to confirm this spot. Since it wasn’t a score, it would have to be a coach’s challenge to reverse it to a safety if that was the case; but if a safety is called on the field, it is a booth review.