Jerome Boger and his officiating crew had a rough day in the desert. I think we can all agree on that. Throughout yesterday’s game, the crew repeatedly missed obvious holding calls, and on three separate occasions gave questionable spots to the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals. Many on Twitter, myself included, questioned the competency of the crew.
https://twitter.com/WorldofIsaac/status/534113903874420736
https://twitter.com/WorldofIsaac/status/534122492194217984
https://twitter.com/WorldofIsaac/status/534137334032527360
But spotting the ball is an inexact science. In some cases, we’re talking about 2-3 inches max (sorry ladies). I want to kill Boger for it as a fan, but I also realize that it’s near impossible to get every spot right during a game. So for now, let’s ignore that. Let’s instead talk about a possible misinterpretation of a crucial play in the 4th quarter.
In short, Arizona punted the ball and was close to downing it at the 1-yard line when Detroit’s Jeremy Ross scooped it up and ran in the other direction.
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This is a legal play. Until the ball is officially “downed” by the kicking team and until there is a whistle, the ball is live. Detroit was given the ball near midfield and all was right in the world. But wait, Arizona’s Bruce Arians threw a challenge flag. He claimed there was possession by the Cards at the one-yard line. Instantaneous possession but possession all the same.
A slow-motion GIF of the play.
Now, as many of you know, the play was overturned on review and the Lions were given the ball on the 1. A huge shift in momentum for the Cards. To his credit, FOX officiating guru Mike Pereira weighed in on air and disagreed with Boger.
“Listen, you always allow for that and you allow him to toss the ball back into the field of play to keep it from going into the end zone. That’s part of that process. So I really don’t agree with that call.”
Pereira brings up a good point here. If possession is established, why then do players throw the ball back into play? Why isn’t there an automatic whistle? Furthermore, how is possession defined here? Is it the same as a catch? If so, you could argue that the player didn’t possess the ball long enough and in fact, bobbled it.
To break it down further, Arizona was in contact with the ball for 9 frames (at 30 frames/sec) or O.3 seconds. Can you see an official ruling that as a catch for an offensive team? Of course not.
This was either a really bad interpretation of possession or a bad rule in general. For what it’s worth, Dean Blandino, the NFL’s VP of officiating weighed in on Twitter.
In ARZ when the kicking team possesses the ball it is dead by rule. #28 had possession and threw it back. Different than batting it back.
— Dean Blandino (@DeanBlandino) November 16, 2014
What do you think? Did the NFL get it right?
