Blocked Field Goal

[nt6m]

Tonight Water Valley Follett game had a surreal unfortunate ending. There were 4 seconds left The game was tied 54-54. Water Valley elected to attempt a field goal. Follett blocked it. The clock showed 1 then no time. The referees decided after conferring with Coach York that an inadvertent whistle had blown with 1 second. Instead of Overtime water valley got another play. They scored Game over. On a blocked field goal why was the ball awarded back to Water Valley. Shouldn't a decent ref had just said that the clock had run out and allowed the game to be decided on the field instead of by a referee. Also if you gave the ball back to Water valley what rule are you using and where should ball be spotted?

 

[Legacy Zebra]

An inadvertent whistle during a kick play puts the ball at the previous spot with the down repeated. Rule 4-1-2-b-4. It doesn't matter if it was blown with one or zero seconds showing, the ball goes back to the previous spot and the down will be replayed.

 

[fortyfived]

Just adding to the facts... It was 2nd down when the field goal was attempted. It was blocked by Follett but recovered by WV. In all the excitement... I paid no attention to where the ball was spotted.

 

[nt6m]

I just believe the ref should have said the click expired and gone to overtime. A game like that should not be decided by a refs whistle.

 

[cowman52]

When the whistle blows or if a ref gives a dead ball signal( one hand over his head), what ever happens after that point is mute, null and void, NEVER HAPPENED.
You raise heck when ref supposedly inserts himself into the game, now you want him to not be a part of the game.

 

[Coach Brand]

I wasn't there, but it sounds like the official thought it was an extra point attempt and blew the whistle immediately after the ball was kicked. Big mistake on his part, but he probably hasn't seen very many field goal attempts in 6man games.

 

[nt6m]

I am going to attempt to explain this once more to clarify and confuse and question.

1. The game is tied with 4 seconds in clock and ball is on 7 yard line 2nd down
2. WV attempts a field goal from right hash at about the 13-14
3. Kick is blocked by Follett and ball is Rolling on ground Everyone thinks we are headed for overtime
4 referree takes last second off clock. I believe clockkeeper stopped clock when ball was blocked
5. Coach York starts arguing about getting ball back. There was a lot of confusion. I believe when referree blew play dead the click did show 1 but only because clockkeeper had stopped it

6 Ball was awarded to wv at 9 yard line and 1 second was put on clock

Question

Why was ball placed in 9 and one second put on clock if the rule was to replay down

 

[Coach Brand]

I believe if a kick is blocked and the ball remains behind the line of scrimmage and it is recovered by the kicking team, then the series of downs continues.

I don't have an answer for why they put the second back on the clock.

I would have let it go to overtime

 

[smokeyjoe53]

When the whistle blows or if a ref gives a dead ball signal( one hand over his head), what ever happens after that point is mute, null and void, NEVER HAPPENED.
You raise heck when ref supposedly inserts himself into the game, now you want him to not be a part of the game.

I'm sure the fans weren't mute but I do believe the happenings afterward were moot.......... I can't help it.........

 

[Blue Bird]

Go back to the inadvertant whistle. Once the officials determine that there was an inadvertant whistle, then the rules for that situation kick into effect. The rules plainly states the down will be replayed. The clock could have been at zero and that down would have still been replayed. It is unfortunate for Follett, but it is still better to have a specfic rule to follow than it be left to the descretion of the officials. That rule is the same for every game and is not open for interpretation.

 

[Stanaland]

I was in the press box and had an opportunity to speak with the officials after the game. The officials, who had officiated a great game, made a big mistake and called the field goal as if it were a PAT. After Follett blocked the kick, the ball was still live and could have been picked up and advanced by either team. Instead, the whistle was blown and clock was stopped with one second left. The clock should have run out and we should have played OT. Since there was an inadvertent whistle, the correct call was to replay the down. I can't explain why the ball was spotted at the 9 instead of the 7 and 1 second was put on the clock rather than 4.

It was a crazy ending to an outstanding game - one of the best I've seen. Both of these teams are going to make serious runs in the playoffs. I am glad that Coach Ethridge and Coach York decided to play the game in Jayton. Best of luck to Follett and Water Valley for the rest of the season.

 

[nt6m]

Thanks Those are great explanations.

 

[JasonTX]

This is why we teach our officials to not blow the whistle when the ball is kicked. It just builds a bad habit for when you attempt a 4 pt. field goal. They are so used to blowing the dang whistle that it becomes automatic. Our guys wait until the ball becomes dead by rule and that is NOT when the ball is kicked.

 

[nt6m]

When the whistle blows or if a ref gives a dead ball signal( one hand over his head), what ever happens after that point is mute, null and void, NEVER HAPPENED.
You raise heck when ref supposedly inserts himself into the game, now you want him to not be a part of the game.

Just a note about refs. I don't want them to insert themselves in games. The rules are made to protect the players not vice versa. In this instance this game was determined by an officials whistle. The way Follett played the second half the outcome in OT may have been the same. I wish we knew. This was a repairable mistake. The whistle had no bearing in the play only on how the game was determined. As a head ref I think he had an opportunity to correct a mistake by a ref. there was enough confusion with the clock that he could have easily ruled that there was no time on the clock when the whistle was blown. Thats what I believe he should have done. It looked like that was his decision before Coach York started arguing.

 

[Shad Kline]

But the rule specifically states, that even if there were no time left on the clock when the inadvertant whistle was blown, that there would be an untimed down at the previous spot.

You said yourself that the ball was rolling around and never mentioned that someone had possession of it. That makes it a live ball, which either team could have picked up and ran. Possibly scoring.

I believe the head ref made the exact right call. The only discrepancy is that he placed the ball on the 9 and not the 7. Which if I had to guess, is where the ball was rolling around at when the inadvertant whistle blew.

 

[WV Backer]

nt6m,
You said you wanted the game to be decided on the field and that's where it WAS decided. Water Valley scored on the last play. Period. End of story.

 

[nt6m]

The thread about onside kicks says the kicking team cannot advance the kick. Thus, the only team potentially hurt was Follett. My point about the ball rolling was time. There wasn't time to recover ball with time left. The reason this is pertinent is because the game should have ended and OT played. This game ended on a correctable referees mistake. All I'm saying is there were enough unknowns and confusion that the head ref could have let the kids decide the game in overtime. Without instant replay with a view of the clock then we do not know whether the clockkeeper stopped the clock with one second when the kick was blocked or the whistle was blown. That's why I think the head ref should have erred in the side of allowing the kids to decide outcome.

I'm not saying the outcome would have changed. I'm saying I feel cheated because we never knew.

 

[Shad Kline]

1) the rules for a free kick and a scrimmage kick that never crossed the neutral zone are totally different. This was a field goal attempt, not an onside kick. It was blocked, on the ground behind the line of scrimmage, therefore a live ball. Either team could pick it up and advance it.
2) I think you are missing the point that what was on the clock at the time of the inadvertent whistle is absolutely, 100% irrelevant. The play doesn't stop just because the clock ran out. It stopped because of the inadvertent whistle. 1 second or not, another play was coming BECAUSE OF THE INADVERTENT WHISTLE.
3) it is unfortunate that the game ended this way, but it ended in accordance to the rules that are set forth. Your coach agreed to those rules when he stepped on the field. That rule is in there for a reason, and it was properly executed.
4) had the ref made the decision to just go to OT, he would have been wrong in that decision.
5) your only issue with any of the refs is that he blew a whistle at the wrong time. But, every ref has done this, which is why it is addressed in the rules. I've done it, and then got the what to do about it wrong. This guy got the what to do about it right. So I say good job!!!!!!

 

[nt6m]

That's why I appreciate this forum. Thank you very much for the clarification. It was an unfortunate mistake but I am glad the head ref made the right call. I didn't realize that the clock in this instance was irrelevant. Thanks.

 

[Blue Bird]

Hornkeeper, the ball was placed at the original line of scrimmage. About the 8 and 1/2 yard line. The blocked kick rolled to the holder almost instantly, he picked it up one handed and pitched it to the white hat who tried to avoid the ball. It hit the ground again 3 or 4 feet behind the white hat. Both teams ambled to their respective sidelines with no thought of advancing the ball.