Rules question from Sunday

[Bryan]

I don't really keep up to date on the NFL kick return 'touchback' rules, so I am posting this question. A few years ago, the Packers had a returner who caught the ball in the end zone and flipped the ball to the official. The official got out of the way of the ball and the play was still a live play. Thought that was kind of funny.

Yesterday, in the throes of another Justin Fields collapse, Roschon Johnson of the Bears is attempting to return a kick. For reasons unknown, Johnson struggles to field a normal kickoff and ends up making a diving catch at the 8-yard line. AT NO POINT has Johnson signaled for a fair catch. Johnson then gets up, stops, and starts walking backwards towards the ref to hand him the ball. The ref blows his whistle and Chicago somehow starts with the ball at the 25-yard line. The announcers don't say anything. There is no intercession from stoolies Dean Blandino or Gene Steratore. So, what on earth just happened? Dan Campbell is upset, the refs eventually huddle and have a discussion....and the Bears are still awarded the football at the 25. What?

I watched a UNLV-Air Force game on Saturday where UNLV's offense consisted of RPOs where the center would run downfield and tackle the MLB while the QB completed passes over the middle. No one said anything during the broadcast. UNLV eventually got flagged for it, once, and then at the end of the game UNLV completed the game winning TD pass with the center tackling the MLB again. Its gotten to the point where I don't even know what I am watching anymore.

[Jay Z]

With the kickoffs it seems to be one part of the game that is very informal. Catching the ball and then just flipping it to the offical seems to signal "no attempt to return" then the ball goes to the 25. It's handled as it would be in the end zone. Players don't need to formally down the ball, I haven't seen that in years.

It's still a live ball, so the player diving for the catch, he needs to actually obtain the ball. Beyond that, if there is no attempt to return it seems like putting it on the 25 is the rule.

[JohnTurney]

Yesterday, in the throes of another Justin Fields collapse, Roschon Johnson of the Bears is attempting to return a kick. For reasons unknown, Johnson struggles to field a normal kickoff and ends up making a diving catch at the 8-yard line. AT NO POINT has Johnson signaled for a fair catch. Johnson then gets up, stops, and starts walking backwards towards the ref to hand him the ball. The ref blows his whistle and Chicago somehow starts with the ball at the 25-yard line. The announcers don't say anything. There is no intercession from stoolies Dean Blandino or Gene Steratore. So, what on earth just happened? Dan Campbell is upset, the refs eventually huddle and have a discussion....and the Bears are still awarded the football at the 25. What?

As per the rules either there HAS a fair catch signal. In this case it had to be the officials THOUGHT there was one and erroneously granted the FC touchback.

So if you are sure there was not one then official made a mistake. It's also not reviewable.

When the All-22 comes out maybe there is a weak or faint signal the official saw or took to be a signal???

[Reaser]

What?

I watched a UNLV-Air Force game on Saturday where UNLV's offense consisted of RPOs where the center would run downfield and tackle the MLB while the QB completed passes over the middle. No one said anything during the broadcast. UNLV eventually got flagged for it, once, and then at the end of the game UNLV completed the game winning TD pass with the center tackling the MLB again. Its gotten to the point where I don't even know what I am watching anymore.

I assumed they thought he called a fair catch.

The UNLV-Air Force game, it was absurd how far downfield the center continually was. On their 3rd qtr 6-yard TD pass he was a half step from the endzone as the ball was being caught.

[JuggernautJ]

Its gotten to the point where I don't even know what I am watching anymore.

I don't know what it is either but it sure ain't (our) football.

As I understand it any kickoff fair caught (or just allowed to bounce) inside the 25 (including the end zone) is ruled a touchback and brought out to the 25 yard line.
Is this correct?

Other touchbacks (on punts, for instance) still go to the 20.
So, we have two different touchback locations now... that makes perfect sense...

As has been said many times here, it seems the NFL is trying to slowly eliminate kickoffs (hypothetically because of the injury risk) and the first step to so doing is to make them extraneous. Soon it will be argued that kickoffs should be eliminated because "nothing happens anyway; it is always a touchback."

To me it is interesting how often sports rules now change.
It used to be you had occasional massive changes that could be identified by year. We all know what is meant when we discuss the "rules changes of 1978."
Now there seems to be a constant tinkering with and altering of the rules. It makes the game incomprehensible and creates a product that is more entertainment and less sport. Perhaps that's the goal.

And it isn't just in football, either.
The changes in baseball... yikes.
Purists and old timers are spinning in their graves and Charlie Finley is laughing in his.

As with virtually everything else in this world not only are sports changing rapidly but the rate of change is accelerating.

[Brian wolf]

I still dont understand why so many pass interference penalties are called on underthrown balls? Yes, the receiver and defender have a right to locate and go after the ball but when a defender is covering and the receiver stops suddenly to locate the ball and their is contact, especially when the pass is short, it should be ruled incidental but they call it every time.

If faceguarding is considered a non-penalty, pass interference should be judged as well if the pass is underthrown but I guess its strictly up to the refs discretion. I am still hoping pass interference someday will be just a 15 yard penalty so defenses have more of a chance.

[JohnTurney]

All-22 shows a fair catch signal - guess game didn't show that

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[Brian wolf]

Good heavyweight fight tonight on MNF but the officials failed to call holding on alot of plays, both sides. Bill Walsh would have loved the pick play that enabled the Chiefs to score a TD. The officials must have been cleaning their rainy glasses during the play, because it was an easy call.

Toney for the Chiefs has had a tough year but had a spectacular punt return. The stars were out tonight, including Chris Jones, Pacheco and Mahomes, who had a lot of dropped passes, including a bomb that would have given them the lead under two minutes. Hurts was tough as usual and Byard played well but Swift--who stayed hurt in Detroit--had a great game while playing every game for them.

[Reaser]

All-22 shows a fair catch signal - guess game didn't show that

Nope, the broadcast never did. Pbp immediately said it was a fair catch when he caught it but right after they showed Campbell saying he didn't and the official waving -like he did signal- back at him. Which the announcers didn't acknowledge because they were talking about "bonus coverage" coming up next. Lined up for the next play but then the officials stopped it and huddled for a while. No announcement after and the announcers didn't really say anything about it. Then Hutchinson got to Fields anyway, fumble -> safety.

[Jay Z]

And it isn't just in football, either.
The changes in baseball... yikes.
Purists and old timers are spinning in their graves and Charlie Finley is laughing in his.

As with virtually everything else in this world not only are sports changing rapidly but the rate of change is accelerating.

Baseball changes, eliminate an hour of absolutely wasted time every game, something they should have done 20 years ago.

Football? People complain about going to an 18 game schedule, well there were FOUR games added from 1960 to 1978. People here would be ballistic. Leave those hashmarks alone. Leave those goalposts alone. What happened to the good old 12 team NFL, I can't keep track of teams in Denver and Cincinnati and Miami. Get these "nickel backs" and "dime backs" off the field, what happened to 11 on 11? 20 years ago we didn't even have facemasks, I just got used to the clear plastic ones, then the single bars, now they all have these cages. And those Afros and sideburns and mustaches! Players who only kick and punt, and what's with this soccer style?

There were plenty of periods of massive change in the past. But it's the past, the "good old days." Not the scary days of today.