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Someone give me the illegal man downfield rule ...

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gordonsolie

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The TD play started at the five yard line.

If you are engaged blocking, are you still illegally down field?

 

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The ball was already in the air in this screen grab. Watch the play live and you’ll see that it wasn’t even close to illegal man downfield at the point when the ball is released.
 
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gordonsolie said:
The TD play started at the five yard line.

If you are engaged blocking, are you still illegally down field?

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Bell was fine. Cooper wasn’t engaged but it was extremely close. He was right at the 3 yard threshold when cam was releasing the ball. It’s a lot closer than that freeze frame with the ball halfway to Arroyo would suggest.

If the ball has to be out, probably got away with one. If the penalty is based on when the throwing motion starts, it was clean and good no call. That is what I’m not sure of
 
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Here is a screen grab that’s right after the ball is released. It’s very close and a good no call.
 

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edge said:
does that rule even apply if the pass is only one yard ahead of scrimmage?
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The rule stipulates that an ineligible player may cross the line of scrimmage and block if the pass is caught behind the line of scrimmage. If it's thrown beyond the line of scrimmage, even if just 1 yard, then as noted above a lineman may block up to a maximum of 3 yards downfield.
 
He was about 3.5 downfield when Cam actually let it go (they also missed a clear face mask on Cam on this play, but whatever). If you go back and find every time an o lineman is half a yard too far downfield at the release with how many RPOs are run you’re going to count 20 missed penalties a game.

But yeah **** that Twitter account, **** Rece Davis, and **** Brock Osweiler.
 
It's where the lineman are as soon as the ball is released. Also, if the ball is caught <1+ yd past LOS it's considered at or behind...

From where that ball was caught it would have been a very technical call. Good no call
 
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Poptimus said:
The rule stipulates that an ineligible player may cross the line of scrimmage and block if the pass is caught behind the line of scrimmage. If it's thrown beyond the line of scrimmage, even if just 1 yard, then as noted above a lineman may block up to a maximum of 3 yards downfield.
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I believe that is only if you aren’t already engaged in a block. Bell was within 3 yards and Cooper was not engaged in a block until after the ball was released. He was also right on the 3 yard mark. Good no call.
 
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Very close. Could have been called either way. But it doesn't matter, we were getting that TD either way.
 
Real quick on that rule:

  1. You can block downfield in college if ball is behind LOS. I suspect the play was designed to be behind the LOS and he got just past it.
  2. Yes, if a player is engaged and blocking you can block past three yards if forward pass
  3. When the ball was released he was about three yards downfield, so it was close, but not a penalty
In summary, it was close, not a call you should ever make in a situation where it doesn't impact play. They probably had timing off on the play and meant for it to be thrown quicker or behind LOS like the previous two on that similar play were.
 
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