Let’s suppose the refs called a fumble instead of missing it.

[RSE]

You know they would have given the Eagles the football on the field.

Would the replay review official have ruled that there was no clear recovery by the Eagles and so we have to award the ball to Dallas?

We all know the answer to that.

Corrupt. Incompetent.

[RSE]

The Cowboy players were so far from the ball that Kanu could have run to the end zone with the ball.

Corrupt. Incompetent.

[JuTMSY4]

That's what's dumb about the challenge system. The ruling on the field isn't some failsafe designed to protect the innocent. Why are we beholden to the default being what was ruled in mere seconds during/after the player over what is the most likely/logical outcome over minutes (and many more eyeballs) or review.

To apply it somewhere else, why does the NFL review "scoring plays" and not "potentially scoring plays" - if the officials on the field rule the player did not break the plane, the coach has to challenge it. if they rule the other way, it's an official review. makes no sense.

[Mr. Triple Dip]

Can't recall the exact game(Ravens vs someone) but there was a near interception along the sideline and the referee standing right in front of the play correctly called incomplete out of bounds. Another ref that was nowhere near the play comes running in and after a conversation the original ref calls an interception and they immediately head for the replay review.

If I had to guess, the conversation was "hey unless you are 100% sure lets call that an interception because it will go to replay review anyway". Eagles did not get said conversation in their situation, had to use a challenge and still got screwed.

[slag]

ProFootball Talk suggests a rule change but it's bullshit

Here is an article that suggests this:

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...eds-to-change/

The article says that the clear recovery rule does not allow instant replay to award a fumble when the ball comes out of a pile and Mike Pereira suggests in the article that the league never considered the situation when all players are from the same team in the pile.

However this is from the NFL's Instant Replay Casebook:

First-and-10 on 50. A2 takes a handoff and runs to the B42 where he loses the ball and several players from both teams attempt to recover it in a pile. Officials rule that A2 was down by contact at the B42, but replays show he fumbled.

Ruling: Reviewable. A’s ball second-and-2 on B42. There must be a clear recovery by B in order to award them with possession. If there is no clear recovery the ball goes back to team A at the down by contact spot and the defense loses the challenge and a timeout. A player coming out of a pile with the ball is not a clear recovery. The Referee must have video evidence that the player recovered the loose ball to reverse.

NOTE: it says "several players from BOTH (emphasis provided) teams attempt to recover in a pile.

It further says "There must be a clear recover by B" (referring to the TEAM, not a particular player)

Thus, when there are only players from the same team, there is not a pile of both teams and there IS a clear recovery by one team

These fucks don't need a rule change ... they need someone with a fucking brain running replay and not a ref who was apparently smart enough to go to law school but without any fucking common sense

[JuTMSY4]

Right - this is the problem

These fucks don't need a rule change ... they need someone with a fucking brain running replay and a ref who was apparently smart enough to go to law school but without any fucking common sense

You can't produce an irrational result. That's what they did.

[slag]

This is not a mere case of injustice perpetrated by form over substance ... it's a flat out misapplication of the rule IMO, because it's crystal clear to me that the people who wrote the replay casebook (and I'd bet dollars to donuts who wrote the fucking rule itself) intended the clear recovery rule only to apply when players from both teams are in the pile.

[RSE]

The upshot of this rule is that any time the ball is loose, the offense must throw as many people on the pile as possible, even it has not been blown dead, even if they are nowhere near the ball in the pile. Don’t assume some official won’t rule down by contact. Don’t think, do.