Timeout before the FG..

[Syringer]

As a Raiders fan, I've been on both sides of the coin with the rule, and think it's a very bush league move that should not be allowed and the rule should be changed.

It's the only instance in sports that you're forced to do twice, and with the game on the line nonetheless.

Imagine in basketball with the game tied at 100 a piece with no time left, you have a shooter at the free throw line, he's set to shoot, he releases, makes it ftw--but it turns out the opposing coach had called a timeout right before, forcing him to do it again.

Or in baseball in the 9th inning, score tied, batter is up--hits a homerun--but WAIT, the coach in the dugout had called for time right before the pitch, forcing the batter to do it all over again.

Worst of all, it's terribly annoying to the fans and completely ruins the drama involved in the final play..

Now I'm all for icing the kicker or whatever, but my proposal is for a rule in that there should be a signal by the ref during a FG attempt within 2 minutes left in either half, and after that span the defense cannot call a timeout, or at the very least the time out must be called on the field.

I have no doubt that the next time there's a game winning fg on the line, an opposing coach will call a TO at the very last second again, which I can't blame him for, but the rule really needs to change..

 

[poncherelli2]

The competition committee will have to look at it in the offseason. I think something can be worked out like no sideline timeouts with under 10sec left on the playclock. The sideline timeout was instituted so a coach could stop play if he saw something wrong on the field, but this new tactic, while allowed under the rules, is abuse. We'll have to sit through it for the rest of the year, but I would be very surprised if something isn't changed by next season.

Btw, I'm really really hoping at some point this season, the defending team calls a timeout as time expires like Buffalo did, the kicker shanks it, the fans celebrate, but wait.... Offense gets a rekick after the timeout and nails it to win the game.

 

[JujuFish]

Imagine in basketball with the game tied at 100 a piece with no time left, you have a shooter at the free throw line, he's set to shoot, he releases, misses it "ftl"--but it turns out the opposing coach had called a timeout right before, allowing him to do it again.

Or in baseball in the 9th inning, score tied, batter is up--strikes out--but WAIT, the coach in the dugout had called for time right before the third strike pitch, allowing the batter to do it all over again.

 

[pyonir]

Should they be allowed to do it? Yes, because there is no rule against it right now.

I'm with poncherelli2, and think they will take a serious look at it in the off season.

personally, it annoys the hell out of me and i hope they do something in the off season to make it stop. (and i'm not a fan of any team it has effected thus far)

 

[Ophir]

I wonder why they don't have stipulations to change this mid-season. It seems to be universally despised. Hell, in basketball they changed the ball mid-season.

 

[herkulease]

I'm nitpicking here. Manager can't call time out in baseball. Notice that he batter has to ask for time. He is told to stand there to be sure that the umpire hears him and calls time. You don't get out of your batting stance until you hear back from the umpire.

with the NBA defensive teams aren't allowed the request timeouts. Unless its a dead ball situation. A Free Throw attempt once a player steps up to the line and is handed the ball is no longer a dead ball situation. Notice why time outs are only granted between attempts.

 

[Excelsior]

I think they'll definitely address it in the off season.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

The thing is that it could work other way around - the kicker could actually miss the FG that is canceled by the time out, and then hit it the 2nd time. As long as this scenario happens before any rules are changed I will be happy.

 

[jjones]

It's a cheap, bush league maneuver, and an abuse of good intentions by the league, that really fucks up for the fans what was otherwise great football tension. There's a simple solution for this. Just don't let sideline timeouts be used ever for field goals and PATs during the entire game. They're not needed from the sidelines, so remove that ability completely from the hands of the coaches.

 

[sniperruff]

the kicker should be allowed to practice on the opposing team's coach if that happens.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Works both ways. What happens if the kicker misses the first FG attempt and then makes it on the second attempt? Makes the case moot.

 

[Gibsons]

Originally posted by: bunnyfubbles
The thing is that it could work other way around - the kicker could actually miss the FG that is canceled by the time out, and then hit it the 2nd time. As long as this scenario happens before any rules are changed I will be happy.

Yes, I can't wait to see this happen. Hopefully that would put a stop to it.

 

[eplebnista]

Should teams be allowed to do it?

Yes

 

[Queasy]

I don't know why this is suddenly an issue this year. It has been going on for as long as there have been field goal kickers.

 

[poopaskoopa]

Out of all the punishments football players take on the field, having to do something twice(without getting hit, usually) on the field just doesn't seem that bad. I think it's more annoying to the fans/viewers. I don't know if it's allowed, but if a coach ever pulls that last second TO non-sense, the offense should just snap the ball and let the kicker kick it for a warm-up/free rep.

 

[Drakkon]

Its almost like penuts when Lucy pulls the ball out from under charlie brown. Its beyond pathetic that a coach would actually use this 'trick' to try and throw a player off. Icing the kicker was one thing but trying to throw him off by allowing him to kick once is someday going to lead to an injury or hopefully one of these times the ref is going to say he accidently 'missed' the hcance to call it and all hell will break loose.
Really the coach should have no ability to call time outs once the players line up. Theres no reason for the coach to be invovled after the play has been called and the players have lined up. Its all up to the players on the field at that point and only they should be the ones to be allowed to call timeouts at that point.

 

[w3stfa11]

[q[Imagine in basketball with the game tied at 100 a piece with no time left, you have a shooter at the free throw line, he's set to shoot, he releases, misses it "ftl"--but it turns out the opposing coach had called a timeout right before, allowing him to do it again. [/quote]

Great example. I felt just like that in the Broncos game and again in the Cowboys game. It took all the buzz and suspense out of the moment.

If the NFL doesn't do anything about this, it will continue to happen for years to come and there will be endless controversy discussion after each game it occurs. Just modify the rule so the game can be played without controversy.

Originally posted by: Queasy
I don't know why this is suddenly an issue this year. It has been going on for as long as there have been field goal kickers.

No, it hasn't.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: w3stfa11

Originally posted by: Queasy
I don't know why this is suddenly an issue this year. It has been going on for as long as there have been field goal kickers.

No, it hasn't.

Really? I must have been dreaming the times my high school football coach told our defense to call time out before the ball was kicked on a field goal to ice the kicker. I also must have been dreaming all those times I've seen it done in college and in the pros.

The only difference now is that it is the coaches doing it on the sidelines instead of the coach telling the players to do it on the field.

 

[KLin]

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: w3stfa11

Originally posted by: Queasy
I don't know why this is suddenly an issue this year. It has been going on for as long as there have been field goal kickers.

No, it hasn't.

Really? I must have been dreaming the times my high school football coach told our defense to call time out before the ball was kicked on a field goal to ice the kicker. I also must have been dreaming all those times I've seen it done in college and in the pros.

The only difference now is that it is the coaches doing it on the sidelines instead of the coach telling the players to do it on the field.

They changed the NFL rule to include allowing coaches on the sideline to call the timeout. Before this season, a player on the field had to call the timeout. I wouldn't be surprised if they re-evaluate this rule change for next season.

Blog article on the issue.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: KLin

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: w3stfa11

Originally posted by: Queasy
I don't know why this is suddenly an issue this year. It has been going on for as long as there have been field goal kickers.

No, it hasn't.

Really? I must have been dreaming the times my high school football coach told our defense to call time out before the ball was kicked on a field goal to ice the kicker. I also must have been dreaming all those times I've seen it done in college and in the pros.

The only difference now is that it is the coaches doing it on the sidelines instead of the coach telling the players to do it on the field.

They changed the NFL rule to include allowing coaches on the sideline to call the timeout. Before this season, a player on the field had to call the timeout. I wouldn't be surprised if they re-evaluate this rule change for next season.

Blog article on the issue.

I'm aware of that. I just don't understand the outrage since it is the same thing, just a different person doing it.

 

[zach0624]

Originally posted by: sniperruff
the kicker should be allowed to practice on the opposing team's coach if that happens.

/end thread

 

[KLin]

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: KLin

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: w3stfa11

Originally posted by: Queasy
I don't know why this is suddenly an issue this year. It has been going on for as long as there have been field goal kickers.

No, it hasn't.

Really? I must have been dreaming the times my high school football coach told our defense to call time out before the ball was kicked on a field goal to ice the kicker. I also must have been dreaming all those times I've seen it done in college and in the pros.

The only difference now is that it is the coaches doing it on the sidelines instead of the coach telling the players to do it on the field.

They changed the NFL rule to include allowing coaches on the sideline to call the timeout. Before this season, a player on the field had to call the timeout. I wouldn't be surprised if they re-evaluate this rule change for next season.

Blog article on the issue.

I'm aware of that. I just don't understand the outrage since it is the same thing, just a different person doing it.

I guess it's just the fact that people could see a player frantically calling timeout on the field just before they kick the FG before this season. You don't see the coach calling the TO unless they have the camera on him.

 

[zach0624]

double post

 

[pyonir]

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: KLin

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: w3stfa11

Originally posted by: Queasy
I don't know why this is suddenly an issue this year. It has been going on for as long as there have been field goal kickers.

No, it hasn't.

Really? I must have been dreaming the times my high school football coach told our defense to call time out before the ball was kicked on a field goal to ice the kicker. I also must have been dreaming all those times I've seen it done in college and in the pros.

The only difference now is that it is the coaches doing it on the sidelines instead of the coach telling the players to do it on the field.

They changed the NFL rule to include allowing coaches on the sideline to call the timeout. Before this season, a player on the field had to call the timeout. I wouldn't be surprised if they re-evaluate this rule change for next season.

Blog article on the issue.

I'm aware of that. I just don't understand the outrage since it is the same thing, just a different person doing it.

It's not the same at all. I've never seen a player stand next to a ref during a kick attempt and wait until the last possible second to call timeout (meanwhile the ball is snapped and kick is off, only for the play to be blown dead). All of the times they "ice" the kicker, the TO is called after the two teams lineup and set. This is the coach standing next to the ref, waiting until just before the ball is snapped and calling TO. It's not the same as icing the kicker...and to say it's the same as it has been done for years in college and HS and before this year in the NFL is ridiculous.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: pyonir
Should they be allowed to do it? Yes, because there is no rule against it right now.

Should they be allowed to do it? No, because it's horrible sportsmanship. Just because something is legal doesn't mean it's ethical.