Officiating video: game-ending replay, an extended catch process, and a batted ball in the end zone

NFL senior vice president of officiating Al Riveron released the weekly officiating video (below), covering the 10 second run-off, the catch process, and illegal batting of the football.

In the Falcons versus Lions game, wide receiver Golden Tate caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Stafford with under 10 seconds remaining in the 4th quarter. The refs blew the play dead and signaled touchdown with 8 seconds left on the clock. Since all scoring plays are reviewed, it was determined that Tate secured the ball before the goal line and was contacted going to the ground. His knee was down before the ball crossed the plane of the goal line inside the 1 yard line. The play was reversed and the 10 second run-off went into effect due to the fact that the play would’ve kept the clock running (inside the field of play), thus ending the game.

Tate also appeared touch the ground at the 11 second mark, prompting questions on if the clock could potentially be reset to 11 seconds, leaving 1 second after the runoff. Riveron did not mention that there wouldn’t be an adjustment. As we stated in the Sunday liveblog, “When the dead-ball spot is essentially the same area without additional time consumed (i.e., reversal of a run) and the clock would be running, there is no adjustment.”

Riveron again covered the catch process, specifically when a receiver is going to the ground. In the Giants versus Eagles game, wide receiver Sterling Shepard caught a pass in the end zone and fell out of bounds before losing the ball. When a receiver is going to the ground, he must control and secure the ball all the way through contacting the ground. In Shepard’s case, the ball came out of his grasp when he hit the ground. 

Lastly, in a play we covered extensively, in the Bears versus Steelers game, the Bears blocked a field goal and returned it all the back but not before the player slowed down just enough for the Steelers defender to strip the ball before the goal line and into the end zone where another defender illegally batted the ball out of bounds. There was no touchback since it was the Bears fumble that put the ball into the end zone, so the impetus rule goes into effect. Since batting the ball out of bounds is a penalty, the enforcement is at the spot of the fumble in this case. The fumble occurred at the 1 yard line and enforcement places the ball at the 1/2 yard line.