Once and for all, IT WAS A FORWARD PASS!

[DuderinoN703]

The Steelers WR lined up on the left didn't get set before the ball was snapped. Good job missing that too refs.

 

[LDaniel7]

I agree it was close but I am confident that they would have had a lot more angles of the play that would show that it was a forward pass. Even with the clip we do have, it shows that.

When Ben releases the ball, it is behind the second hash mark.

When Brown catches that ball, he is clearly ahead of the second hash mark.

It's indisputable, if you draw a straight line relative to the field and not point of view.

Had to lol at NYJUNC and his crooked line lol. The only way you say say it's not a forward lateral is if you draw a skewed line non-relative to the field. Then you can make a yard ahead seem like only a few inches ahead, lol.

LD

 

[The New Guy]

what you have to worry about with officials though is them looking at that and saying that angle is not straight on the play as in right down the line...so it could be viewed as a judgment call...and i've seen enough bad ones of those to feelthey would blow this one also...especially if it means overriding their own officials to get it right...

forward lateral though all the way...dont care what angle they have it' s obvious

Yeah, I can see that happening. I would just think with all the cameras that they would had to have a few different angles on that which would show it more clearly.

The Steelers WR lined up on the left didn't get set before the ball was snapped. Good job missing that too refs.

Yep, I went back and saw that too. Glad the guy stepped out of bounds to make up for it all and avoid that nightmare scenario.

It's indisputable, if you draw a straight line relative to the field and not point of view.

Had to lol at NYJUNC and his crooked line lol. The only way you say say it's not a forward lateral is if you draw a skewed line non-relative to the field. Then you can make a yard ahead seem like only a few inches ahead, lol.

LD

Like Hoops mentioned, the only thing that makes it hard is the angle of the camera. If you don't have an anchor point like the hash marks, it is very difficult to draw a straight line. That is why I took a straight line and placed it right behind the second hash mark where Ben released the ball. Even with that, it is hard to tell exactly where they are on the field. I would hope that the NFL would have a lot better angle on it and would have gotten it right but after everything else I've seen, I'm not so certain they actually would have.

 

[LDaniel7]

Lateral rules are as strict as TD rules, btw. If the ball cross the plane forward, it's a forward lateral.

LD

 

[Daytona Fin]

I agree it was close but I am confident that they would have had a lot more angles of the play that would show that it was a forward pass. Even with the clip we do have, it shows that.

When Ben releases the ball, it is behind the second hash mark.

When Brown catches that ball, he is clearly ahead of the second hash mark.

Hey what happened to those squiggly lines and the circles blocking the pass and catch?

 

[KTDolphins]

Not to mention their line never got set, that should be an illegal formation.

 

[Danny]

I said as the play was going on it was a forward lateral. Want to know how I can tell? Look at #76 for Pittsburgh. He's right next to Rapeberger. The only way for Rapeberger to throw a lateral around #76 would be to throw it forward (since he can't throw it through him).

Great point. Not that it was needed cause they must be blind to not see it as a forward pass but great point.

Ozzy rules!!

 

[JTC111]

The difference is this was a scoring play, so IF they are reviewing they are reviewing to make sure Brown scored. That would only cover him running down the sideline and crossing the endzone.

If this happened outside of 2 min then Philbin could throw the challenge flag to have them review whether it was #5 or not. In this case the booth would have to call for the review on #5 and there is no given they would because, as stated before, this was a scoring play. There is a distinction between different parts of the play.

I've read over the section of the NFL rulebook covering replays (pasted below) and there's nothing there that draws the distinction you made that I've highlighted in red. As far as I know, the entire play is reviewable. Where's the rule that covers what you're saying.

Section 9

Instant Replay
INSTANT REPLAY
The League will employ a system of Instant Replay Review to aid officiating as defined below.

The following procedures will be used:


Article 1
Coaches’ Challenge.

In each game, a team will be permitted two challenges that will initiate Instant Replay reviews.

The Head Coach will initiate a challenge by throwing a red flag onto the field of play before the next legal snap or kick.
Each challenge will require the use of a team timeout. If a challenge is upheld, the timeout will be restored.
A challenge will only be restored if a team is successful on both of its challenges, in which case it shall be awarded a third challenge,

but a fourth challenge will not be permitted under any circumstances.


Note 1: If there is a foul that delays the next snap, the team committing that foul will no longer be able to challenge the
previous ruling. A team may challenge any reviewable play (see Article 4 below) except when the on field ruling is a score

for either team, an interception, a fumble or backward pass that is recovered by an opponent or goes out of bounds
through an opponent’s end zone, or a muffed scrimmage kick recovered by the kicking team. A team is also prohibited
from challenging any ruling after the two minute warning of each half, and throughout any overtime period.


Note 2: A team that is out of timeouts or has used all of its available challenges may not attempt to initiate an additional
challenge. If a team initiates a challenge when it is not permitted to do so, it will be charged a timeout.
Penalty: For initiating a challenge when a team has exhausted its timeouts: Loss of 15 yards.


Article 2
Replay Official’s Request for Review

After all scoring plays, interceptions, fumbles and backward passes that are recovered by an opponent or go out of bounds through an opponent’s end zone, muffed scrimmage kicks recovered by

the kicking team after the two minute warning of each half and throughout any overtime period, any Replay Review will be initiated by a Replay Official from a Replay Booth comparable to the location of the coaches’ booth or Press Box

Note 1

There is no limit to the number of Replay Reviews that may be initiated by the Replay Official. The ability to initiate a review will be unrelated to the number of timeouts that either team has remaining, and no timeout will be charged for any review initiated by the Replay Official.


Note 2:
The Replay Official must initiate a review before the ball is next legally put in play.


Article 3

Reviews by Referee

All Replay Reviews will be conducted by the Referee on a field level monitor after consultation with the covering official(s), prior to review. A decision will be reversed only when the Referee has indisputable visual evidence available to him that warrants the change.


Note 1:
Time Limit. Each review will be a maximum of 60 seconds in length, timed from when the Referee begins his review of the replay at the field level monitor.


Note 2: All reviewable aspects of the play may be examined and are subject to reversal, even if not identified in a coach’s challenge or if not the specific reason for a Replay Official’s request for review.



Article 4

Reviewable Plays

The Replay System will cover the following play situations only: (a) When the on field ruling is governed by the Sideline, Goal Line, End Zone, and End Line:

1. Scoring plays, including the ball breaking the plane of the goal line

2. Pass complete/incomplete/intercepted at sideline, goal line, end zone, and end line

3. Runner/receiver in or out of bounds.

4. Recovery of loose ball in or out of bounds.

5. Whether there has been a touch back, when the on field ruling involves a runner’s momentum, or whether a kick touched the pylon

.
(b) Passing plays:

1. Whether a pass was complete, incomplete or intercepted in the field of play.

2. Whether a fumble by a Quarterback (Passer) was a pass.

3. Whether a forward pass has been touched by any player.

4. Whether a pass has been thrown forward or backward.

5. Whether a forward pass has been thrown from beyond or behind the line of scrimmage.

6. Whether a forward pass has been thrown from behind the line of scrimmage after the ball has been beyond the line

.
(c) Dead Ball: When the on-field ruling is:

1. a runner down by defensive contact, and the recovery of a fumble by an opponent or a teammate occurs in the action that happens following the fumble;

2. a runner out of bounds, and the recovery of a fumble by an opponent or teammate occurs in the action that happens following the fumble;

3. an incomplete forward pass, and the recovery of a fumble, or the recovery of a backward pass, by an opponent or a teammate occurs in the action following the fumble or backward pass;

or

4. a loose ball out of bounds, and it is recovered in the field of play by an opponent or a teammate in the action after the ball hits the ground.

Note 1: If the on-field ruling of down by contact, out of bounds, or incomplete forward pass is changed, the ball belongs to the recovering player at the spot of the recovery and any advance is nullified.

If the ball goes out of bounds in an end zone, the result of the play will be either a touch back or a safety.

Note 2: If the Referee does not have indisputable visual evidence as to which player recovered the loose ball, or that the ball went out of bounds, the ruling on the

field will stand.
(d) Other reviewable plays:

1. When the on-field ruling is a runner not down by defensive contact.

2. The position of the ball with respect to a first down.

3. Whether a kick has been touched.

4. Whether a Field Goal or Try attempt has crossed below or above the crossbar, inside or outside the uprights when it is lower than the top of the uprights, or has touched anything.

5. Whether more than 11 players were on the field at the snap.

6. Whether there has been an illegal forward hand-off.

7. Whether a loose ball in play has struck a video board, guide wire, sky cam, or any other object

.



Article 5 Non-Reviewable Plays include, but are not limited to:

1. Status of the play or game clock.

2. Proper down.

3. Penalty administration.

4. Runner ruled down by defensive contact (not involving fumbles).

5. The position of the ball not relating to first down or goal line.

6. Recovery of a loose ball that does not involve a boundary line or the end zone.

7.Field-goal or Try attempts that cross above either upright without touching anything.

8. Inadvertent/Erroneous Whistle.

9. Quarterback “s pike” to kill clock

 

[goulds]

Tony Kornheiser just said that had Brown not stepped out of bounds then the "scoring play" play would have been reviewed. He sounded like the whole play would have been reviewed but im not going to trust him and his staff.

Even if it was im not sure it was indisputable

 

[JCane]

We won.

Don't care what it was.

 

[MexDolfan]

They have to review the score. Not the entire play.

In fact being in the closing minutes and given a score play refs would have to review the entire play, not just the score itself.

A few weeks ago KC scored in the final play of the 2nd quarter but the football touched the field and refs cleared the play.

 

[DuderinoN703]

Great point. Not that it was needed cause they must be blind to not see it as a forward pass but great point.

Ozzy rules!!

Well to Junc Rapeberger threw it around him. You know because he's a ****ing cartoon character who can extend his arm 10 feet around objects.

---------- Post added at 07:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:24 PM ----------

Tony Kornheiser just said that had Brown not stepped out of bounds then the "scoring play" play would have been reviewed. He sounded like the whole play would have been reviewed but im not going to trust him and his staff.

Even if it was im not sure it was indisputable

All scoring plays are reviewed, especially those under 2 minutes. On a nutty play like that I'm sure they'd review that all of the laterals were legal. On any other play where it wasn't a circus, I'm sure they would've just reviewed the step out of bounds.

 

[jason_taylor]

It looks like it went from about the 32.5 to the 33.
It is ridiculously close and I am not sure that it would have been overturned.

YES ,IT WAS a forward pass ,Not by much , but it went about a half a yard foward Big Ben threw it form the 32 1/2 to the 33 and yes they are suspose to review ALL Plays , and if he hadnt stepped out im sure Philbin would have thrown the red flag for the 2nd time today .

 

[JTC111]

if he hadnt stepped out im sure Philbin would have thrown the red flag for the 2nd time today .

No, he wouldn't. By rule, he's not allowed to throw it.

 

[flynryan15]

Well from the replay rules posted it say they can review if it was a forward/backward pass.