(12-23-2023 04:07 PM)OhioBobcat68 Wrote:  

(12-23-2023 03:55 PM)sdcritter Wrote:  "Offside occurs when one or more players of the kicking team are not behind their restraining line when the ball is legally free-kicked (Exception: The kicker and holder are not offside when they are beyond their restraining line) (Rule 6-1-2)."

So we are arguing that because their head and shoulders were over the line as they leaned forward this is technically off sides? I suppose you can make that argument.

But as an official I think I would have swallowed my whistle.

I agree it was ticky-tack call and is usually not called. If this is a normal offensive play where the defense is lined up in the neutral zone (feet onside but the head is past the line of scrimmage) this is routinely called. This type of offsides happens frequently on kick offs but it's rarely called.

NIU missed some very makeable field goals and gave Arkansas State a chance to get the win but they fell a little short. It would have been interesting to see if they would have been able score if the offsides wasn't called. The ASU field goal kicker looked pretty solid.

I disagree.

That is the norm for onside kicks. The NCAA has adopted a series of rules to make onside kicks nearly impossible to execute successfully and have made several points of emphasis so that it is nearly impossible to run an onside kick that isn't flagged no matter the outcome of the kick. The Association has taken the stance that they don't like the play because you've got guys looking around for the ball getting blasted by guys who just ran ten yards as hard as they could to try to get the ball.

The NCAA Football Rules Committee does not want onside kicks to take place, they just lack the stones to ban the play so they defacto ban it by insuring nearly any successfully executed one results in either the receiving team getting ball or a re-kick.

The committee got the result they wanted.

I argued long ago if we are worried about kickoff player safety the easier solution is place the ball at the forty and the "kicking team" runs a play from scrimmage with the line to gain being the opposite forty. If you want to run a play and fail to make the line gain, opponents ball at the end of the run or you can punt it or run a fake punt. You can run a placekick but we will treat it like a punt if you've got a guy who can give you good distance. But you aren't getting downfield without getting slowed down by the receiving team.

That format retains the possibility of a surprise "onside".

(12-23-2023 04:08 PM)runninjoe Wrote:  

(12-23-2023 04:02 PM)Big Buds Wrote:  

(12-23-2023 03:55 PM)sdcritter Wrote:  "Offside occurs when one or more players of the kicking team are not behind their restraining line when the ball is legally free-kicked (Exception: The kicker and holder are not offside when they are beyond their restraining line) (Rule 6-1-2)."

So we are arguing that because their head and shoulders were over the line as they leaned forward this is technically off sides? I suppose you can make that argument.

But as an official I think I would have swallowed my whistle.

This is all a moot point, not one body part for stAte was over the line. The flag wasn’t thrown immediately too. Reeks of conspiracy.

We had the majority of the money on us as well per action network. Makes you wonder. Flag came out late and wasn’t from the line judge. We desperately need to find a way to integrate technology into the game so this doesn’t happen.

We got robbed against NIU last time as well on a 4th down call that was just blatantly wrong. At least they won that game by enough
that the call didn’t matter.

What’s the point of playing the game? At least NIU is stuck with their coach. Real winner that guy is. Butch is turning things around with mostly freshman.

The GoDaddy Bowl was a case of the white hat being pedantic.

Our interim head coach wanted to challenge and asked to review forward progress. Forward progress isn't reviewable. If he had said the magic words of review the line to gain, then it would have been reviewed and almost certainly A-State's ball and NIU doesn't get their first score of the game.