Hypothetical situation:

You're the home football team (High School/NCAA) and you're playing your biggest rival.

There is 1 second of time left in the game, you're up by 4 points but the other team has the ball.

The other team throws a pass with time running out, their WR catches it while wide open.

Their WR runs towards the endzone with none of your defensive players anywhere near him ( Your DBs fucked up and its a guaranteed touchdown for the other team)

All of a sudden, one of your bench-warmers/towel boy/cheerleaders/etc... runs out on the field and tackles that WR way short of the endzone.

Time has run out, you're still up by four, the game can't end on a penalty so the other team gets another shot for a touchdown.

Your defense gets lucky and keeps them out of the endzone...

Question: Was it worth it? and What type of infractions would be placed on your team?

12/20/2005 9:00:27 PM

pretty sure they'd award the touchdown

12/20/2005 9:02:21 PM

pretty sure that would be funny as hell

12/20/2005 9:06:38 PM

^^I don't think they would give them the touchdown if he was tackled 20-30 yards shy of the endzone

[Edited on December 20, 2005 at 9:11 PM. Reason : .]

12/20/2005 9:10:44 PM

can they just arbitrarily award a touchdown if you didn't cross the plane? Chances are it would be a TD, but there is always the possibility that the guy could trip.


I would think the ref would have to blow the play dead in the same way they do if some random person were to streak across the field. Time would be reset and the play would be done over. That would be a major butfuck to the other team though.

[Edited on December 20, 2005 at 9:37 PM. Reason : good question]

12/20/2005 9:35:28 PM

i wonder if there's a forfeit clause, where anything like that happening would cause the game to be awarded to the victimized team

kind of like a technical foul on a crowd in basketball, but football doesnt really have technical fouls, maybe they would give them like a spot foul penalty? regardless, i strongly doubt they would give them the touchdown without them actually scoring it, whether he was going to surely make it or not w/o the interference

12/20/2005 9:42:53 PM

My best guess...

Quote :

"Unfair Acts ARTICLE 3. The following are unfair acts: a. If a team refuses to play within two minutes after ordered to do so by the referee. b. If a team repeatedly commits fouls that can be penalized only by halving the distance to its goal line. c. If an obviously unfair act not specifically covered by the rules occurs during the game (A.R. 4-2-1-II). PENALTY—The referee may take any action he considers equitable, including assessing a penalty, awarding a score, or suspending or forfeiting the game."

http://www.ncaa.org/library/rules/2005/2005_football_rules.pdf


Page 116/233 Under "Conduct of Players and Other Subject to Rules"




[Edited on December 20, 2005 at 9:49 PM. Reason : ]

12/20/2005 9:43:24 PM

Heh, I think I just killed this thread. Sorry

12/20/2005 9:48:36 PM

yea im not surprised at the forfeiting part, but i am surprised at the 'awarding a score' part. i think it's a legitimate rule, im just surprised that they would allow a score to be assumed

12/20/2005 9:50:56 PM

you know what'd be funnier?

a button to turn the field into an obstacle course

12/20/2005 10:17:09 PM

I always wanted to do that as a fan. Just come out of nowhere from the stands and level some guy trying to return a fumble/interception for a touchdown.

You'd be on ESPN for years.

12/20/2005 10:19:57 PM

didnt this happen in a game once in the 50s sometime? A guy on the bench ran onto the field and tackled a guy to stop a TD. I want to say it was SMU and someone else playing.

12/20/2005 10:23:47 PM

i saw this b/4 where in some ncaa/nfl game some sideline player came and tackled the guy running down the field and yeah they rewarded him with the touchdown

12/20/2005 10:23:48 PM

the trombone guy got demolished on that good ole cal play. i dont think he knew the play was still alive but he got in the way and the runner demolished him

12/20/2005 10:29:45 PM

yeah, every time I see that highlight, I'm like "man it must've sucked to be that guy, there was all of Stanford's special teamers AND the band, and that guy got run over"

12/20/2005 10:33:38 PM

"The Band.... they're out on the field!!"

[Edited on December 20, 2005 at 10:36 PM. Reason : One of the greatest moments in sports history]

12/20/2005 10:35:40 PM

it was rice-alabama in the 1954 cotton bowl

rice was awarded the TD

12/20/2005 10:43:59 PM

Quote :

"you know what'd be funnier? a button to turn the field into an obstacle course"

LMAO

12/21/2005 12:50:52 AM

Side question: If you as a fan were to actually attempt it, what'd be the penalty?

A large fine? Jail time? Is that a misdemeanor? Community service?

12/21/2005 11:16:16 AM

^ Asskicking by the entire football team?

12/21/2005 11:43:08 AM

so.....based on that rule.

does that mean if you were kicking the game winning field goal w/ one second left and a someone from the oppossing teams bench turned on some loud ass sound (like the alarm on a bullhorn) causing you to miss the field goal, the ref could say, "field goal good because of the loud sound?"

that's bullshit.

we used to cheat all the time.

not to mention gang tackle and poke the players eyeballs, scratch him, and twist his fingers in the dog pile.

Those were the good ole days.

12/21/2005 11:46:56 AM

One time a fan ran onto the field and started running with the ball, and Lawrence Taylor laid him out. When questioned after it, LT said he saw the guy running with the ball, so he tackled him.

12/21/2005 12:00:41 PM

If the chargers make it to the super bowl, On the first play, I'm gonna run otu on the field and take out Brees' knees. Make sure his ACLs are all good and torn. Then maybe Rivers could win the super bowl.

12/21/2005 12:03:15 PM

well its harder to tell with a field goal if it would have been good or not. It basically says that it is up to the ref. I would imagine a penalty would be assessed (prolly give an unsportsman like conduct) and they would be allowed to rekick.

12/21/2005 12:05:13 PM

if its 4th and inches, and someone runs out and stabs Monica Seles

would it be goal tending or would there be penalty kicks?

12/21/2005 1:22:23 PM

i would kill you

12/21/2005 1:23:42 PM

my grandfather was awared his team's "12th man award" (at washington and lee) for jumping off of the sidelines and tackling a UVA player.

12/21/2005 5:25:28 PM

When I read the question, my first thought was that it was Baylor back in the 50's or 60's. But yeah, good call on Rice/Alabama.
I remember watching one game way back where a guy was going for a sure TD and Cowher motioned like he was going to tackle the guy. I mean I think he caught himself at the last possible second on that one.

12/21/2005 5:56:17 PM

^ that was a Monday night football game.

I believe it was against Jacksonville around ~1997 if memory serves correctly.

12/22/2005 5:51:56 AM

Well,


I basically have the best memory ever.

Quote :

" Favorite Jaguar Memory: Cowher wanting to tackle Hanson in '97"

--Jaguars Moderator

http://www.jaguars.com/mb/default.aspx?f=7&m=515622&p=2

12/22/2005 6:01:13 AM

The officials would reset the game clock to the point at which contact was made...give the ball back to the squad which had it..and the other squad would prob haev a couple of seconds to try one last time(but now only 15-20 yards closer to the endzone)!

12/22/2005 9:05:07 AM

^ um, no.

If there is no one between the ball carrier and the goal line he would be awarded a touchdown in most cases.


If there is no one between the ball carrier and the goal line and a ref blows an inadvertent whistle it is still a TD.


Except against ECU last year when they jacked Andre Maddox of a TD because they pretended someone could have potentially stopped him.

12/22/2005 9:41:40 AM

Woody Hayes of Ohio State punched a player for Clemson in a game, which led to his demise. Not sure if it was during the field of play because I've never seen a replay or seen it live as I was not born. I heard it was insane, much like when the videotape of Bobby Knight grasping the throat of that Neil Reid kid, course that was his own player.

12/22/2005 2:15:21 PM

^^ In regards to no one being between the player and the end zone, who is to say that the ball carrier could not have been caught from behind and had the ball stripped, Don Beebe-style?

I know this is a stretch, but in hockey, if a puck is headed toward an empty net and a stick is thrown that knocks the puck off its course, a goal is automatically awarded. However, if a player (the pulled goaltender or another skater) jumps off the bench and stops the puck, the referee cannot award a goal and the victimized team is awarded a penalty shot or an optional power play. Both the NHL and USA Hockey rulebooks are very specific in noting that an automatic goal cannot be awarded if the puck is stopped by a player that has been deliberately substituted illegally (meaning seven men on the ice).

It would have to be a judgement call in most cases, but I'm surprised the rulebook is so wide open.

12/22/2005 3:19:44 PM

this thread has gone on far too long.

12/22/2005 3:21:29 PM

What really matters is if the game was officiated by ACC refs

12/22/2005 3:31:02 PM