Is It Required to Complete the Catch Before Being Ruled Down by Contact?

[TL-TwoWinsAway]

2 minutes ago, Jakuvious said:

The struggle is, there isn't really a great alternative. If you look at it from the other side, let's say there is no run off. They review the play, and rule Tate short. As a result, the Lions get to easily snap the ball for an extra play at the 1 after the review with time to substitute and call a play and line up. While they MIGHT have made it to another play without the review, they also might not have. So if the Lions get a play there, score a TD, and win, then you just have Falcons fans complaining that the Lions were gifted a play that they might not have been able to line up for without the review.

Either way, you're potentially screwing one team over. Now if we want to adjust the amount of the run off, that's another matter, but that's going to be an arbitrary amount of time regardless, honestly.

I have another option: the ref announces their decision, then ends the call with "there are (____) seconds remaining on the game clock, the ball is spotted on the (____) yard line, and the time starts now".  The team has those seconds to snap the ball.  The team should at least get a shot to use that time.

[Jakuvious]

4 minutes ago, TL-TwoWinsAway said:

I have another option: the ref announces their decision, then ends the call with "there are (____) seconds remaining on the game clock, the ball is spotted on the (____) yard line, and the time starts now".  The team has those seconds to snap the ball.  The team should at least get a shot to use that time.

Doesn't solve the problem. If that's how it works, the offense would just be waiting for the ruling lined up. It's still a free play for that offense.

[fortdetroit]

17 minutes ago, Jakuvious said:

Doesn't solve the problem. If that's how it works, the offense would just be waiting for the ruling lined up. It's still a free play for that offense.

how about if the offense has to start 5 to 10 yards away from the line of scrimmage, the clock starts, and then they have to run to the LOS and get the play off?

[TL-TwoWinsAway]

29 minutes ago, Jakuvious said:

Doesn't solve the problem. If that's how it works, the offense would just be waiting for the ruling lined up. It's still a free play for that offense.

Wouldn't the offense be doing that anyway?  They ran a goal line play with no timeouts.  I fully expect that, if they felt it was short, they'd be in a position to line back up and run another play.

[Jakuvious]

1 minute ago, TL-TwoWinsAway said:

Wouldn't the offense be doing that anyway?  They ran a goal line play with no timeouts.  I fully expect that, if they felt it was short, they'd be in a position to line back up and run another play.

Being scattered and having to spot the ball and line up is different from the offense being able to literally wait in formation to run a play. You're talking several seconds for them to get to the line and snap it, if they do. They don't even have to do that much if they're just waiting to be told to snap it.

[TL-TwoWinsAway]

1 hour ago, Jakuvious said:

Being scattered and having to spot the ball and line up is different from the offense being able to literally wait in formation to run a play. You're talking several seconds for them to get to the line and snap it, if they do. They don't even have to do that much if they're just waiting to be told to snap it.

Absolutely.  But, really, any team is going to be calling a play that puts them in position to line back up for another.  I don't think there's a question that the Lions would have been able to get another snap in if ruled short of the end zone (and not challenged by the booth).

Of all of the options we have on the table, ending the game outright, without allowing the offense a chance to use their time, shouldn't be one of them.