Polamalu's Punch - Illegal?

[Animal Mother]

On the safety, Simms kept saying it is illegal to punch the ball out of bounds but that they wouldn't call a penalty on a review (I was still nervous) - but seriously? What are they going to call? Punching the ball while it's on the ground? Really? That's a penalty?

[vader29]

The only thing they probably could have called him for would be a delay of game but not through replay, the refs would have had to call it on the field.

[fansince'76]

I only thought it was illegal for offensive players to deliberately knock a ball forward (Holy Roller play).

[Godfather]

Someone should tweet Mike Pereira and ask.

In real time it looked like the ball got booted as the result of a scramble.

[tube517]

Not to be a downer but that could've been a penalty for punching a loose ball.

http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/penaltysummaries

[Godfather]

In other "Stealers" news, is anyone out there whining about that one play where we knocked them back from the goal line? The replay showed he was in.

I want to find those idiots and point out that the Pats* had three timeouts and both challenges so the blame should be 100% on Bellycheat.

[Psycho Ward 86]

Yes, it is an actual rule in the NFL, but it is difficult to enforce because it's tough to prove the player's intent to move the ball forward. The only time i've ever seen it actually called is the Giants/Patriots superbowl. I forget who, but a Giants player deliberately smacked the ball forward and out of bounds so the Patriots couldnt get a hold of it, but in that situation it was obvious because the player smacked the ball with his whole arm, and not subtlety like Troy did (flick of a wrist)

[IUSteel]

I think the rules state it's only illegal for an offensive player to deliberately move the ball forward or out of bounds. So if we had secured possession, refumbled, then Polamalu punched that'd be illegal. But as it was...I'm not sure. Probably will be after this season if it's not.

[Animal Mother]

Not to be a downer but that could've been a penalty for punching a loose ball.

http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/penaltysummaries

Also, I just thought about a play that's never called a penalty and that's when a punter kicks the ball out of the back of the endzone for a saftey rather than potentially surrendering a TD. Wouldn't that be a penalty then? I'm sure it would be declined by the other team, but shouldn't it still be called?

[tube517]

Also, I just thought about a play that's never called a penalty and that's when a punter kicks the ball out of the back of the endzone for a saftey rather than potentially surrendering a TD. Wouldn't that be a penalty then? I'm sure it would be declined by the other team, but shouldn't it still be called?

I've never seen a punter kick one out of the back of the end zone intentionally. I"ve seen punters run out of the end zone with the ball or falling down in the end zone but I've never seen one kick it out of their own endzone intentionally

[Dino 6 Rings]

Already said but it is all related to 'The Holy Roller'

[steelerdude15]

Not to be a downer but that could've been a penalty for punching a loose ball.

http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/penaltysummaries

To my knowledge it should have been a penalty.

[86WARD]

Yes. Definitely a penalty. You can't hit the ball forward.

[7SteelGal43]

I only thought it was illegal for offensive players to deliberately knock a ball forward (Holy Roller play).

bingo

[Steeldude]

I think the rules state it's only illegal for an offensive player to deliberately move the ball forward or out of bounds. So if we had secured possession, refumbled, then Polamalu punched that'd be illegal. But as it was...I'm not sure. Probably will be after this season if it's not.

no player can deliberately punch or slap(any direction) a fumble/loose ball

[The Patriot]

The clock would have just run out anyway. Your D deserved a gift safety after the game they played.

[fansince'76]

Apparently, it was illegal:

MikePereira Mike Pereira

In regards to Polamalu play - it should have been an illegal bat and if that was called then it would have been a touchback

4 hours ago

http://twitter.com/#!/MikePereira/st...87305165291520

[Dino 6 Rings]

The clock would have just run out anyway. Your D deserved a gift safety after the game they played.

Thanks for the props. It was a nice change from the 37 of 43 for 385 yards with 4 tds type of games Brady made a career of having against our secondary.

[NCSteeler]

It seems to me offensive players have swatted fumbled balls out the back of the endzone many times without penalty. Just kinda odd circumstance and hard to tell intent with out slow mo replay.

[Animal Mother]

I've never seen a punter kick one out of the back of the end zone intentionally. I"ve seen punters run out of the end zone with the ball or falling down in the end zone but I've never seen one kick it out of their own endzone intentionally

I believe our own Mitch Berger did it once during the Super Bowl season of 2008. Was it the time Harrison was the snapper?

[suitanim]

Yes, it is an actual rule in the NFL, but it is difficult to enforce because it's tough to prove the player's intent to move the ball forward. The only time i've ever seen it actually called is the Giants/Patriots superbowl. I forget who, but a Giants player deliberately smacked the ball forward and out of bounds so the Patriots couldnt get a hold of it, but in that situation it was obvious because the player smacked the ball with his whole arm, and not subtlety like Troy did (flick of a wrist)

I tend to agree...how can one for sure ascertain what his intention was? And if you start throwing flags on every player who UNintentionally advances a ball while trying to scoop it up, you'd have mayhem.

[GodfatherofSoul]

It seems to me offensive players have swatted fumbled balls out the back of the endzone many times without penalty. Just kinda odd circumstance and hard to tell intent with out slow mo replay.

Now that you mention it, I know I've seen that happen a lot too. Like when a punter or QB muffs the snap in the end zone and boots it out of the back of the endzone. Never seen that called.

[steeldevil]

Yes, it should have been a penalty. It is illegal to bat a loose ball in a direction that favors you. Actually I think it is illegal to bat a loose ball in any direction.

Would not have mattered though. They would have been on the 20 or 25 with 3 seconds left.

[steelreserve]

Probably could've been a penalty.

In addition to the Holy Roller fumble-forward types of plays, I do remember seeing "illegal batting" called once during an onside kick attempt, when the guy on the receiving team wasn't going to be able to catch the ball, but he jumped up and a split-second before he got blown up by the recovery mob, he got one hand on it and punched it out of bounds like a volleyball. So they gave them a re-kick for that.

I actually think this was in a playoff game about 15 years ago involving the Browns. It was an obvious onside kick situation with like 30 seconds left in the game, and they ended up having to re-kick it three or four times; it was such an all-out brawl for the ball that there ended up being penalties every time, including the illegal batting and even a facemask, I believe. I had forgotten about that game until I saw the end of yesterday's.

[XxKnightxX]

Yes, it is an actual rule in the NFL, but it is difficult to enforce because it's tough to prove the player's intent to move the ball forward. The only time i've ever seen it actually called is the Giants/Patriots superbowl. I forget who, but a Giants player deliberately smacked the ball forward and out of bounds so the Patriots couldnt get a hold of it, but in that situation it was obvious because the player smacked the ball with his whole arm, and not subtlety like Troy did (flick of a wrist)

Yes it was Steve Smith who fumbled and Ahmad Bradshaw who swatted it if I'm correct. Guess who was the red for that game? Yup Mike Carey lol. IMHO Polamalu should of putted it lightly instead of slapping it like that, just lt the clock run but I hink he just did not want the ball in Bradys hands lol.

[DEW Steelers]

Illegal, but close call. He had opponents all around him and was diving for the ball. Home cooking...

DEW

[fansince'76]

In other "Stealers" news, is anyone out there whining about that one play where we knocked them back from the goal line?

WAAAHHH!

OK the Patriots lost; I accept that, but did anyone notice the terrible non-calls?

If you "accepted" it, you wouldn't be squawking about the refs, asshole. The only thing I noticed is you didn't get an automatic flag whenever one of your players threw a bitchfit like you usually do. However, I'm sure Der Kommissar will look into that later this week and additional draft picks will be duly awarded for this gross transgression.

[Craic]

The bad thing about having all these cameras and video etc., is that it makes everyone forget the the biggest rule of all of sports.

If the ref didn't see it, it's NOT a penalty. Most of these players know what their doing is a penalty when they do it. Their taking weighing the risk/reward ratio and make their choice.

So Troy did it, and wasn't caught. Thus, it wasn't a penalty. I'm not sure I'd agree with the risk-reward assessment. But I loved the outcome.

[steelreserve]

if we're talking risk-reward assessment, Troy made a stupid play. Even if gets beaten to it and the Patriots fall on the ball, the clock is still running and there's a huge dogpile with under 10 seconds to go, and they have no timeouts. There's no way they get another play off. Only way that happens is if there was a penalty, which there almost was.

[steelerdude15]

WAAAHHH!



If you "accepted" it, you wouldn't be squawking about the refs, asshole. The only thing I noticed is you didn't get an automatic flag whenever one of your players threw a bitchfit like you usually do. However, I'm sure Der Kommissar will look into that later this week and additional draft picks will be duly awarded for this gross transgression.

Whenever the Steelers win, people always cry about it. Haters are going to hate.