NFL’s response to controversial Lions-Falcons ending doesn’t add up

Betallsports · Sep 28, 2017

Arguably Week 3’s best game ended in controversey, when the referees reversed a ruling and said that Golden Tate did not score in the final seconds of the Atlanta Falcons win over the Detroit Lions. The ruling called for a running clock, which ended the game and kept the Lions from possibly another play. On Wednesday, NFL Senior V.P. of Officiating Al Riveron defended the job of his crew.

“Since the clock is running and we go from a stopped clock when we have a score, we reverse it to a running clock, now the 10-second rule comes into play,” Riveron said on NFL Network, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “Detroit does not have any timeouts left. At the end of the play there is eight seconds left. By rule, we enforce a 10-second runoff. The game is over.”

There are a few problems with this.
One, was there really any point in Riveron saying this? He just restated the ruling that we all heard on Sunday.
Two, as Smith noted, the incorrect ruling severely hurt the Lions. We don’t know if they would have been able to scramble to the line of scrimmage to get a play off within eight seconds. We certainly don’t know if the play would have been succesful. But thanks to a poor ruling from the referees, Detroit was robbed of that attempt. Maybe there’s nothing that the NFL can do about that now. But acknowledging that it was a referees mistake wouldn’t exactly hurt matters.

Lastly, still photos seem to show Tate being touched down with 11 seconds left. If those were not incorrect, why can’t the NFL at least state why? While expected, Riveron toeing the company line does more harm than good.

Betallsports · Sep 28, 2017

Will Brinson‏Verified account @WillBrinson

Sure does look like there were 11 seconds left on the clock when <s>@</s>ShowtimeTate was ruled down for the <s>@</s>Lions.

NBAcapper08 · Sep 28, 2017

not sure how this isn't a bigger deal. the refs literally decided the outcome

jamesbong · Sep 28, 2017

NFL has become a joke on so many levels.

HacheMan · Sep 28, 2017

Nothing has ever made sense with the NFL.... No Freaking Logic

Mr_Mark · Sep 28, 2017

1 sec left for the last play on 4th down at the 1 yard line.... that would have made for great tv.... but what was the reason for the 10 sec run off?

ML Dog · Sep 28, 2017

Mr_Mark said:
1 sec left for the last play on 4th down at the 1 yard line.... that would have made for great tv.... but what was the reason for the 10 sec run off?

I wondered this and also never understood why the Live Announcer calling the game declared: "Oh It was 4th Down so it wouldn't have mattered anyway." like in some kind of way of trying to "explain" some thing....like NBACapper08 said above: "not sure how this isn't a bigger deal." Detroit Lions Backers ATS and even Worse: Moneyline may've gotten among the biggest SHAFTS seen in a while. Plus this would have been a Tremendous Win for Motor City and The New Comeback Kid Stafford.

Zero Clue why a bigger deal has not been made of this.

CoolBreeze22 · Sep 28, 2017

I'm still not 100% certain his knee ever touches the ground before the ball breaks the plane of the endzone.

michael777 · Sep 28, 2017

when i posted this her right after it happened,almost no one commented or cared,now all of a sudden it matters?

sunshine11 · Sep 28, 2017

The referees friends and families bet on Detroit. Wouldn't surprise me at all.

jamesbong · Sep 28, 2017

michael777 said:
when i posted this her right after it happened,almost no one commented or cared,now all of a sudden it matters?

Sorry you're not getting the attention you deserve. You should take a knee.

OfftheSheet · Sep 29, 2017

The reason for the 10 second run off is that the clock was supposed to keep running since it was determined that that player was down in the field of play. The clock would have never stopped for the touchdown. It would be like giving the offence a free time out it after the review. Even if there was 1 second on the clock they never have gotten the play off since once the ball was set for play the clock would have run before the could get set and snap the ball.

devocr · Sep 29, 2017

jamesbong said:
Sorry you're not getting the attention you deserve. You should take a knee.

Hahaha well done!

ML Dog · Sep 29, 2017

michael777 said:
when i posted this her right after it happened,almost no one commented or cared,now all of a sudden it matters?

Ignor jamesbong's liddle tempertantrum, You are Much Loved Here. Dumbass Missed Several Memos.

OfftheSheet said:
The reason for the 10 second run off is that the clock was supposed to keep running since it was determined that that player was down in the field of play.

It was Initially Ruled a Touchdown.

OfftheSheet said:
The clock would have never stopped for the touchdown.

You're saying that You Believe that upon a Touchdown

The Clock just keeps Running?

Through that 5 Minutes of Commercials? Just Keeps Running?

That don't sound right.

ML Dog · Sep 29, 2017

devocr said:
Hahaha well done!

Dang Fluffer. Fluff Him. Fluff Him On Up.

Dang Fluff. You're a Legend.

Acebb · Sep 29, 2017

This is another one of the reasons why the NLF is losing viewers.

They can't even define a catch.

Based on the video it appears it is a touchdown.

rolltide · Sep 29, 2017

OfftheSheet said:
The reason for the 10 second run off is that the clock was supposed to keep running since it was determined that that player was down in the field of play. The clock would have never stopped for the touchdown. It would be like giving the offence a free time out it after the review. Even if there was 1 second on the clock they never have gotten the play off since once the ball was set for play the clock would have run before the could get set and snap the ball.

absolutely no reason they couldn't get a ball snapped in 7 or 8 seconds...happens in every 2 minute drive. but as long as people know the rule ahead of time i guess it's fine.

my problem would be that I've never seen a 10 second runoff in a review before. if that is truly the rule then 10 seconds should come off the clock for every review that takes place in the field of play. Either I've been missing this runoff for years or it is has never been applied before

OfftheSheet · Sep 29, 2017

You're saying that You Believe that upon a Touchdown

The Clock just keeps Running?

Through that 5 Minutes of Commercials? Just Keeps Running?

That don't sound right.

After the call was that the runner was down short of the goal line, the clock should have kept running. If Detroit had a timeout they could have called one and no ten second run off.

OfftheSheet · Sep 29, 2017

[QUOTEabsolutely no reason they couldn't get a ball snapped in 7 or 8 seconds...happens in every 2 minute drive. but as long as people know the rule ahead of time i guess it's fine.

my problem would be that I've never seen a 10 second runoff in a review before. if that is truly the rule then 10 seconds should come off the clock for every review that takes place in the field of play. Either I've been missing this runoff for years or it is has never been applied before][/QUOTE]

It's a new rule. I guess they could have made it a 10 second run off or a 7 second run or whatever.

If the play started at the 30 or 40 yard line, that would not have been enough time.

Betallsports · Sep 29, 2017

<section class="subsection article__section__step article_module_section">NFL and NCAA football officials use the “10-second runoff rule” to punish teams for committing certain penalties that stop the clock in the final minute of either half -- or in the overtime period, in the case of NFL games. If the game clock has less than 10 seconds left when the referee orders the runoff, the half or game can end on this ruling.

</section><section class="subsection article__section__step article_module_section"> Rationale for the Rule

Before this rule was instituted, an offensive team with no remaining timeouts could deliberately commit a violation -- such as a false start, an illegal forward pass, a backward pass out of bounds or a ball spiked or thrown from the field of play after a play ended -- to stop the clock. The penalty resulted in lost yardage, but the clock stopped, and the punished team then ran a play. This tactic allowed teams to stop the clock in the final 10 seconds without using a timeout and then run one last play.

Defensive Side of the Rule

Before rule changes, defensive teams with no remaining timeouts could deliberately commit an encroachment penalty to stop the clock. The punished team lost penalty yardage but got another opportunity to regain the ball. NFL rules do not call for a 10-second clock runoff in this scenario; rather, the play clock is reset to 40 seconds, and play may resume on the official’s ready signal. The offense may allow the clock to run for 40 seconds without running another play, if it chooses. This effectively negates the game-stopping tactic.

<section class="subsection article__section__step article_module_section"> Injuries and 10-Second Runoffs

To prevent teams from faking injuries to stop the clock, the NFL opted to charge teams a timeout for injuries that halt play during the final two minutes of a half. If a team has used all of its timeouts, then a 10-second runoff occurs on the first injury. For each additional injury, a 10-second runoff and a 5-yard penalty are assessed.

</section><section class="subsection article__section__step article_module_section"> Replay Reviews and 10-Second Runoffs

If a video replay review is ordered in the final minute of either half while the clock is running, the officials will order 10 seconds run off the clock. Either team can prevent the runoff by using a timeout. This rule prevents a team that is out of timeouts from gaining any benefit from a clock stoppage caused by replay review.

</section><section class="subsection article__section__step article_module_section"> NCAA Follows Suit

The University of North Carolina rallied to beat the University of Tennessee, 30 to 27, in the 2010 Music City Bowl -- after spiking the ball to stop the clock, while still substituting players in and out of the game. The UNC Tar Heels were penalized, but they kicked a field goal to tie the game and then prevailed in overtime. As a result, the NCAA Rules Committee instituted a 10-second runoff rule that mimics the NFL rule. Had the Music City Bowl been played under the new rule, it would have ended with the clock runoff.

</section>

</section>