Illegal batting in Dolphins-Patriots game comes under scrutiny | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Illegal batting in Dolphins-Patriots game comes under scrutiny

DisturbedShifty

DisturbedShifty

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For the second straight week, a game involving the Patriots included a controversial call. For the second straight day, a game involving a team from Boston included a call raising questions of intent.
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The officials ruled that Vernon had committed an illegal batting of the ball, applying a 10-yard penalty from the line of scrimmage. Rule 12-4-1(a) explains that an illegal bat occurs if “a player of either team bats or punches a loose ball in the field of play toward his opponent’s goal line. While Rule 12-4-1(a) doesn’t expressly require intent, Rule 3-2-5(g) defines illegal batting as “the intentional striking of the ball with hand, fist, elbow, or forearm.”
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“The official on the field what he ruled was that the player batted it forward, which is an intentional act,” Anderson told pool reporter Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “Players cannot bat the ball forward. With it being the defensive team they couldn’t bat it in that direction. The offensive team likewise could not have batted it forward from their side of the field.”If Vernon inadvertently had hit the ball in the direction of New England’s goal line while trying to recover it, there could have been no illegal batting because there would have been no batting. Review of the play from multiple angles suggests that Davis was trying to hit the ball down the field, away from any Patriots players in the vicinity of Vernon as he lunged toward the ball.
And so it appears to have been the right call.
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Source:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...-dolphins-patriots-game-comes-under-scrutiny/
 
Review of the play from multiple angles suggests that Davis was trying to hit the ball down the field, away from any Patriots players in the vicinity of Vernon as he lunged toward the ball.

This doesn't even make sense. Who the hell is Davis?
 
phinfoot said:
Review of the play from multiple angles suggests that Davis was trying to hit the ball down the field, away from any Patriots players in the vicinity of Vernon as he lunged toward the ball.

This doesn't even make sense. Who the hell is Davis?
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Jimmy Thomas, duh
 
Yeah, it was the right call my ass, blow me PFT. Not a chance in hell anything like this would EVER be called against the Patriots in the same situation. If that sack-strip-fumble happened to us, it's 3rd and forever and we're out of FG range. It happens to New England, they get a 1st down at our 12 yard line. Seems about right. Suck my balls NFL.
 
To the letter of the rule unfortunately, it's hard to argue with the call. And it's hard to argue with the call because it's a judgement call. And that's why this rule needs to go, or be re-written. Because we are relying on an official who may not have a great view, trying to decide if he was swatting or trying to pull the ball in. Personally I think he was trying to pull the ball in, but it hit the top of his fingers when he swatted at it.

These judgement calls can't exist. That's why I was glad when they change the WR catching rule to allow the defenders to push them out of bounds instead of leaving it up to the ref to determine "if he would have" come down in bounds.
 
Coaches seriously need the ability to challenge penalties like these. This play & the PI call earlier were such BS.
 
I'm about a week away from never watching this wwe crap ever again
 
phinfoot said:
Review of the play from multiple angles suggests that Davis was trying to hit the ball down the field, away from any Patriots players in the vicinity of Vernon as he lunged toward the ball.

This doesn't even make sense. Who the hell is Davis?
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Vernon Davis, lol.
 
It is completely preposterous for an official to think he can clearly determine Vernon's intent while:

1. He is lunging towards the ball
2. His right arm is under his body
3. He clearly makes a swiping motion back towards his body, as if to pull the ball back towards him
4. The best interest of his team would be to recover the fumble because the Patriots were in FG range - Vernon couldn't know who was around to potentially recover the fumble after he batted it
5. He was on the ground and not trying to move the ball forward to run with it

In that situation, when the ref is trying to guess at intent, the only reasonable assumption would be that Vernon was trying to recover the fumble. You would have to believe that Vernon was acting illogically to assume he was batting the ball away from a possible fumble recovery that would change the momentum of the game.

There is no way to defend that call. Let's say Brady was falling to the ground and pushed the ball towards a teammate and the Pats recovered. Any chance that the ref calls a similar penalty?
 
This is hands down one of the top 3 worst calls I have seen in any football game in my life! Not because it went against my team, but when is the last time you have seen that called? If ever there was a case that a penalty should be challenged this is the poster child! Will the competition committee change replay rule? I doubt it! We will get some bull**** apology from the head official calling the call subjective speed of the game bla bla bla. Then as usual the competition committe will say allowing penalties to be reviewed will make the games to long, because obviously playing within the constraints of your tv contract and appeasing Vegas is much more important then getting it right!
 
You would think at worst, the ball would be awarded to the Pats, where the ball was allegedly batted. Not a penalty and first down.
 
Life as a Dolphin fan.....
 
Next time there is a fumble and a LB comes running and has trouble picking it up and the ball bumps down the field, I want to see them call it. And the best part is the whole sack and fumble are nullified and the offense gets the ball with yardage marked off from the line of scrimmage and get an automatic first down.
 
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