Officiating video: sideline on a first down, 10-second runoffs, safety kicks

NFL senior vice President of officiating Al Riveron released the week six officiating video today (video below).

In it he covered a play from the Titans versus Colts Monday Night Football game in which Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett scrambled to make 1 yard on 4th and 1. He scrambled toward the sideline, switched the ball to his left hand and tried to cross the line to gain marker in order to make the first down. He was ruled to have not made it as the ball crossed the white sideline behind the first down marker. The result of the play was a turnover on downs and the Titans took possession. However the Colts challenged the ruling and on review, the television replay angles were inconclusive in determining where the ball crossed the sideline in relation to the first down marker. It is worth noting that the ball is not spotted where it lands out of bounds in this situation, only where it crosses the sideline.

Next Riveron covered a 10-second runoff situation that came up during the Steelers versus Chiefs game on Sunday afternoon. With the clock running late in the second quarter and the Chiefs in possession of the ball, two false start penalties were called on the Chiefs and the play was stopped. In this situation the referee will look to the defense and ask if they 1) want to enforce the penalty and 2) if they want a 10-second run off. The Steelers said yes to both, at which point the Chiefs have the option of taking a timeout to stop the 10-second run off. Since the Chiefs did not take a time out, once the referee puts the ball in play and blows the whistle to start the next play, the clock will restart since it was already a running clock. 

Lastly, Riveron covered a safety kick from the Chiefs versus Steelers game. On a safety kick, the same rules apply as they would on a normal kick off. The ball may be recovered by the kicking team once it travels 10 yards or further down field and the ball is dead where the kicking team recovers it. If the kicking team recovers the kick, they may not advance it downfield. The ball is spotted where it is recovered. In this case the Chiefs elected to punt the safety kick and it was not recovered by the Steelers once the fall traveled further than 10 yards.