Rules question from Pack/Bears game re: replay challenge

SossMan · #1 10-08-2007, 12:18 AM

Al started to get into it, but I missed his explanation about why the packers didn't get their timeout back after challenging the spot.

The way I understood it was that if you challenge the spot and they move the ball, you won the challenge. Down/distance shouldn't matter, right?

Can someone explain this one to me?

In case you missed it, there was a 3rd down play where the Chicago RB was tackled right at the 1st down marker. They measured and he got it by a foot or so. GB challenged the spot and the ref moved it back by about a foot. They remeasured and it was still a first down by the tiniest of margins (the ref nearly had to get on a knee to see).

GB lost a timeout even though they "won" the challenge.

MacGuyV · #2 10-08-2007, 12:20 AM

I'm 100% sure I've seen a team get their time out back for that in the past. Either they changed the rule or the refs fugged up.

MyTurn2Raise · #3 10-08-2007, 12:22 AM

apparently, the Packers asked incorrectly

they challenged it was a first down
they should've challenged the spotting of the ball

they lose if evaluated by the first criteria
win if evaluated by the second criteria

HajiShirazu · #4 10-08-2007, 12:23 AM

This game was rigged with a half dozen bad calls against the Packers, so you can just throw out whatever the rules were supposed to be.

iron81 · #5 10-08-2007, 12:25 AM

I missed the play that got challenged. Did they move the sticks to set up for the next play?

MacGuyV · #6 10-08-2007, 12:25 AM

[ QUOTE ]
This game was rigged with a half dozen bad calls against the Packers, so you can just throw out whatever the rules were supposed to be.

[/ QUOTE ]

You mean "illegally playing DL on a FG attempt" isn't a standard penalty?

kyleb · #7 10-08-2007, 12:28 AM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
This game was rigged with a half dozen bad calls against the Packers, so you can just throw out whatever the rules were supposed to be.

[/ QUOTE ]

You mean "illegally playing DL on a FG attempt" isn't a standard penalty?

[/ QUOTE ]

god this put me on such tilt

Bork · #8 10-08-2007, 12:31 AM

[ QUOTE ]
apparently, the Packers asked incorrectly

they challenged it was a first down
they should've challenged the spotting of the ball

they lose if evaluated by the first criteria
win if evaluated by the second criteria

[/ QUOTE ]
They asked wrong.....? Obviously they were challenging the first down via challenging the spot..

Why not alway just say 'we challenge the spot' then? They have to measure for the first either way right?

I thought the rules were written such that it didn't matter what you ask because when reviewing the play they are to check every reviewable aspect. Like if you challenge whether some guy's knee was down before he went into the endzone and it turns out he stepped out of bounds 10 yards earlier then you 'win' the challenge and keep timeout..

I think Al Michaels was BSing. I don't believe the 'asked wrong' explanation given how plays are reviewed.

Bork · #9 10-08-2007, 12:44 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Coaches are allowed two challenges per game. If a call is not overturned, the challenging team loses a timeout.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok, dug up the rule. I would say moving the spot of the ball qualifies as a call being overturned (though perhaps not the call the mentioned by the challenger) .

Technically according to the rule it isn't necessary that they don't lose a timout, but it is what is meant/implied.

iron81 · #10 10-08-2007, 12:47 AM

The thing with challenging the spot is the spot isn't binary like most rules, its a continuum. Basically every spot is off by at least a few inches. I think that if you challenge the spot, you should lose unless the spot changes by at least a half yard unless it results in a changed first down or touchdown call.