Declining false start penalties

[SuperUberBob]

We saw a false start work in the favor of Tennessee when it canceled out a shanked possibly game-tying field goal. They re-tried the kick 5 yards back and made the kick. Tennessee went on to win the game in overtime.

[Needle77]

No, and because False starts happen before anything occurs, so no play has taken place. Nothing to decline.

And about that missed kick who knows the reason he shanked the ball? It could have been referees blowing the whistle and running in that ruined his concentration. We have no idea if he woulda made it otherwise.

[Spence]

My understanding is that as soon as there is a false start the play is whistled dead, therefore there is no play.

[JaredL]

Again, I don't see how this would work since the penalty is before the play starts.

I also think there would be big risk of injury if the defense gets a free play.

Also, as I said before I think you can actually decline the penalty but the rule is that there is no play because it's a dead ball foul. So it's like the timeout when they freeze the kicker. The whistle blew before the ball was snapped so there was no kick in that sense.

[jaydub]

[ QUOTE ]
No, and because False starts happen before anything occurs, so no play has taken place. Nothing to decline.

And about that missed kick who knows the reason he shanked the ball? It could have been referees blowing the whistle and running in that ruined his concentration. We have no idea if he woulda made it otherwise.

[/ QUOTE ]

Watch the replay, they blew whistles in the middle of the play and he just half assed through the motion.

J

[doucy]

I have seen a false start get declined in the pros. The team was punting, and let the play clock run out to give the punter more room. The defense declined the delay of game penalty. So the punt team lined up again and one of the o-linemen intentionally false started. The defense declined that penalty also.

[jstnrgrs]

I think that there should always be the option to decline penalties. Even if there are penalties on both teams (there are some situations on change of possession plays where this would be desireable).

Not being allowed to decline penalties creats a situation where a team can benefit by comitting a penalty. I don't think this should be allowed.

[PokerFink]

You can decline a false start, but anything that happened during the "play" doesn't count regardless, because the "play" was blown dead and never really happened.

[jstnrgrs]

Let me clarify that I don't think a play should be allowed after the whistle, but declining the penalty and running the next play from the same line of scrimage should be allowed.

[Assani Fisher]

[ QUOTE ]
Let me clarify that I don't think a play should be allowed after the whistle, but declining the penalty and running the next play from the same line of scrimage should be allowed.

[/ QUOTE ]

it is.

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