Officials permit punt beyond line of scrimmage, Rams fail to challenge

USA TODAY Sports

Things got a little nutty on Thursday night, following a blocked punt. The officials made a bad call, and the Rams blew a chance to challenge it.

Seahawks punter Michael Dickson recovered a blocked punt and, while running to the left and toward the line of scrimmage, banged a 68-yard kick. A flag was thrown, Mike Pereira of Fox Sports said on the broadcast that there can’t be two punts, and then the flag was picked up.

Based on the relevant language of Rule 9, a second punt after a blocked punt does not violate the rules, as long as both kicks happen behind the line of scrimmage and the ball has not crossed the line of scrimmage. (Pereira later acknowledge that point.) However, the second punt must be behind the line of scrimmage. The available video evidence shows that the punter had crossed the line when the ball was kicked a second time.

It should have been a foul. Because plays involving the line of scrimmage are reviewable, the Rams could have thrown the challenge flag. They did not.

26 responses to “Officials permit punt beyond line of scrimmage, Rams fail to challenge

  1. At very least, it should have been illegal man downfield since all those players cant be beyond the LOS when it is punted.

  2. Wow, so this isn’t the call that will get some type of additional overview official as part of the crew. But it’s the right family of call. If 7 points had been the result of the play and significant $$$, bad press, and a changed result occurred this is the type of thing that would get it done.

  3. Two things.

    1. Punting behind line of scrimmage. That was close – rule could be exactly like the QB passing rule where just as long as a body part is on the LOS, the pass counts, even if the ball is released past it.

    2. Illegal Man Downfield. By definition, the penalty is when a non-gunner crosses the LOS before the kick. It could be the first blocked kick ends that requirement. It doesn’t say anything about a subsequent kick.

  4. That was not close. When he drops the ball to punt it, he is clearly past the line of scrimmage. Probably by a yard and change.

  5. Can try and pick this apart all you want but the line judge made a mistake on this one. Probably keeping his eyes up for a taunting penalty or a personal foul. Darrenkod above sounds like the weekly presser from the league stating why they made the call, just like the blown call from the Lions/Ravens. How about instead of making excuses we either add more refs or stop looking for all these taunting and roughing the passer calls. We’re at week 5 and the amount of blown calls are already pilling up. The NFL’s response? Well that’s subjective.

  6. Totally disagree. McVay hand the challenge flag in his hand. He looked pissed so it appears he was told by the referee he could not challenge the play

  7. FootballZebras confirmed players are allowed to run downfield after the FIRST punt, according to (A.R. 9.61).

    Kevin Seifert posted punting rule – exactly like passing rule and LOS. ENTIRE body and ball needs to be past the LOS. So just as long as a timy body part is behind the LOS, the punt counts.

  8. Most fun play of the season by far. My wife asked me if punting twice was allowed. I said “no way.” So I learned something while having fun tonight.

  9. There are too many rules, officials are going to miss something when they have to police everything

  10. Perreira was as clueless as everyone else and had the rule wrong at the time of the kick.

    I’m not 100% sure that every part of the kickers body was over the line of scrimmage so i’m not going to fault the refs in real time.

  11. The illegal man downfield is nullified after the first punt. The players ate a trained to move downfield after the sound of the kick.

  12. Going into week5 the referees are getting more and more attention with
    Bad calls after the games.
    I remember the scandal in the NBA
    that led to investigations by the
    FBI. Roger Goodell needs to get on
    Top of this quickly and if necessary
    Start replacing the bad refs.

  13. If any part of the punter’s body is behind the line of scrimmage, it’s legal.

  14. imaglaser says:
    October 7, 2021 at 11:26 pm
    At very least, it should have been illegal man downfield since all those players cant be beyond the LOS when it is punted.

    —————————————

    This is incorrect. That is only during a pass but if punting that is how it is done.

  15. I’ve have watched an obscene amount of football in my life. Thousands of games over decades. Obscene. I have never seen a play like that before. Can a ball be kicked twice? I don’t know. I don’t think so. Well, I guess it can. Crazy play.

  16. Brilliant, athletic play by Dickson. Even if he knew he was across the line and risked a 10-yard penalty, it would still be a smart play. If he just tan it, the other team would have gained a huge advantage.

  17. Fabio Fantone says:
    October 8, 2021 at 12:07 am
    That was not close. When he drops the ball to punt it, he is clearly past the line of scrimmage. Probably by a yard and change.

    ————-

    Just watched the replay and froze it at the kick. LOS was the 21 and when he kicked it his left foot looked right on the line. If it is like the QB “any body part” rule, he may have been ok. Looks like he probably did step on LOS and should have been challenged, but it was very close. If he was over, it was by inches.

  18. I’m a high school football official. While there are some small, nuanced differences between the NFL interpretation and the NFHS rules, the basics governing this type of situation are similar. In so many words, the rule states that “Any K (kicking team) player may catch/recover any kick while it is IN or BEHIND the neutral zone, and advance it, except during a try for point”.

    “Advancing the ball” implies that the K player can run or pass, and that’s true. However, because kicking it a second time is not expressly prohibited by this rule, it’s not illegal do so, as long as the ball remains IN/BEHIND the NZ. Once the kicker went beyond the LOS/NZ, that should’ve been flagged for an illegal kick.

  19. The refs got this one right. When the ball begins to drop for the kick his back foot is clearly on the 20 yard line, behind the LOS 21 yard line. At no point is his whole body beyond the LOS, and as such it was a legal kick.

  20. Here is the rule from the 2021 NFL rule book. Clearly states the punter can be “on” the line. Since he was behind the line when starting the attempt this is not even a close call. Legal all the way.

    RULE 9 SCRIMMAGE KICK
    SECTION 1 KICK FROM SCRIMMAGE
    ARTICLE 1. KICK ON OR BEHIND LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. Team A may attempt a punt, drop kick, or placekick from on or behind the line of scrimmage

  21. “ darrenkod says:
    October 8, 2021 at 1:11 am
    FootballZebras confirmed players are allowed to run downfield after the FIRST punt, according to (A.R. 9.61).

    Kevin Seifert posted punting rule – exactly like passing rule and LOS. ENTIRE body and ball needs to be past the LOS. So just as long as a timy body part is behind the LOS, the punt counts.”

    Why is it that our readers are better informed than the network talking heads?!

  22. Randall Cuningham used to punt the ball when he was first starting as the Eagles QB. I think he may have had a play like that where he put his foot on the ball twice in the same play. Some player in the 1980s did this before.

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