When Seahawks coach Pete Carroll tried to excuse his decision to ice kicker Matt Bryant, Carroll said that officials told him before the game that “practice kicks” would not be allowed.
But there’s a difference between the “practice kicks” that happen when a kicker is iced too close to the snap of the ball and a literal “practice kick” performed by the kicker sneaking onto the field at a time when he shouldn’t be out there.
That’s what happened on Saturday in Denver between the first and second overtime periods. That’s what Carroll and the officials talked about before Sunday’s game between the Seahawks and Falcons.
Justin Tucker did just that for the Ravens. And while it shouldn’t have happened, NBC officiating consultant Jim Daopoulos explained during Monday’s PFT Live that no penalty should have been assessed.
Instead, it just shouldn’t have happened. Specifically, the officials should have stopped it from happening.
The problem is that the situation isn’t addressed in the rule book. Now that it has happened, look for the Competition Committee to consider expanding the articles and sections to impose a five-yard or 15-yard penalty for illegal practice kicks.
But not for “practice kicks” that happen when someone ices the kicker too late.