Aaron Rodgers was on pre-game saying the Giants were faking injuries to get free timeouts to slow the Packer offense down, remember? Well, what about last night? The Giants exploited a loophole in the NFL rulebook and this needs to be addressed IMMEDIATELY or every team is going to abuse it as more coaches learn about it. -----------------------HERE IS THE EXCERPT--------------- They might even have exploited a funny little loophole in the rule book. With 17 seconds left, Tom Brady took a snap and desperately searched around for an open receiver. He eventually launched a pass to a well-covered Aaron Hernandez that fell incomplete, but not before eight seconds had passed and a flag had fallen to the ground. The penalty? The Giants had 12 men on the field, a five-yarder that would allow the Patriots to replay the down from their own 49-yard line, but not reclaim the time on the clock. In a situation where a team needs a touchdown with 20 seconds or so left in the game, time can be far more important than yards. Trading eight seconds for five yards there is a decision the defense will take every time, and even if the Patriots had the ability to get off a free play, the Giants had 12 men on the field and were more likely to stop such a play from succeeding. It's brilliant. It's illegal. But was it on purpose? Normally, we wouldn't accuse a coach of employing such a strategy. Tom Coughlin certainly doesn't have a reputation for stretching the rules. But fellow Grantland contributor Chris Brown pointed out that there's a precedent for such behavior: Buddy Ryan's "Polish Defense" tactic, a move he employed near the goal line. Take it away, playbook: THREE EXTRA LINEBACKERS GO INTO THE GAME. Situation: The opponent is inside the 5 yard line going in to score. There is less than 15 seconds left. We want to stop their offense from scoring and in the process, we want to run the clock down to where they have enough time for just one play. So, we will stop them, get penalized half the distance to the goal, but leave them with enough time to run one play. We will then go back to our regular goal line defense and stop them to win the game. Chris' post also notes that Ryan later placed 14 men onto the field for a last-minute punt while considering the same sort of strategy, and actually got away with it when the referees failed to recognize the extra men and didn't throw a flag. It's easy to see how this might work for the Giants. By taking eight seconds off the clock, they force the Patriots into a situation where they essentially will have to throw a Hail Mary on the next play (or, in the worst case, two plays later). In fact, just as Ryan lamented not having 15 men on the field for the punt, the Giants probably should have run 13 men4 onto the field for the play, ensuring that a completion was almost certainly not forthcoming before taking their lumps. In reality, the Giants probably just screwed up and put 12 men on the field amid all the excitement and drama of the final series. But don't be surprised if an NFL team remembers this situation next season, refers back to Ryan's mantra, and throws 14 players on the field for a key defensive snap inside 30 seconds. The NFL would be smart to close this loophole in the rules and turn the defensive 12-men penalty into a true free play, allowing the offense to either take the result of the play or the option of accepting a five-yard penalty with the time run off from the play added back onto the clock. ---------------------- http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7545771/the-patriots-giants-super-bowl-rematch-disappoint The NFL needs to fix this loophole immediately.
this topic is legitimate, your commentary is complete dumb fuckery. " this needs to be addressed IMMEDIATELY or every team is going to abuse it as more coaches learn about it." you don't think coaches know this rule? of course they know the fucking rule; that is different than them not utilizing it in such a manner to their benefit. you even post that Buddy Ryan utilized it; it isn't new. the solution is simple -- make it a dead ball penalty just like it is on the offense if they have too many men in the huddle. that is the only way. but you can't create a rule that puts time back on the clock after allowing the offense the opportunity to make the play. otherwise you would have to put time back on the clock after every play in which a penalty occurs. that would be a mess.
Maybe the Pats will employ Bill Polian to some obscure position, get him on the competition commitee and have them re add the time so the team gets the 5 yards and the time back on. I remember saying last night what a brilliant move by the Giants because the Pats lose those 8 seconds or so and only get 5 yards. Honstely if there is a rule that runs 10 seconds off the clock if the offense commits certain penalties then maybe they should change the rule to reset the game clock if the D commits certain penalties.
Im thinking teams should just send all 52 players onto the field for the last 2 minutes of the game and just give up like 15 too many players on the field penalties till the clock runs out, then only have to defend one single play.
That certainly worked out for the Giants last night. Whether it was intentional or not, we don't know. I think this is probably an exploit that should be addressed. But I don't think it should favor the offense so heavily that it could win a game for them. I'd be in favor making it a 15-yard penalty with a clock reset, but I'd only apply that in the final two minutes. For the rest of the game, let it remain as is.
It's a loophole that should be addressed. To tell you the truth, I'm surprised more teams haven't exploited it. It never dawned on me until after the penalty. I just don't understand why a team doesn't throw 16 players out there until the final play.
This is a loophole. Not sayign the Giants did it on purpose There are rule in place, that require time to be run off the clock, in certain circumstances, regarding penalties and injuries, late in the game, to prevent the offense from using penalties or injuries to stop the clock They are not subjective. It is across the board, regardless of the legitimacy of the penalty or injury I've long thought that NFL needs to do this for a defensive penalty also. If a defensive penalty is committed which could effectively run time off the clock at the end of the game, then clock should be rewound to the original time when the play on which the penalty was committed, was commenced. There already is a form of this in place in that the game can't end on a defensive penalty
well, you don't really want to allow them too many 5 yards penalties and get them too close. the most feasible solution IMO is make it a dead ball penalty like it is on the offense and don't even allow the play to run. if the defense sets with 12 men on the field blow it dead.
Either this, or allow the free play and if the offense accepts the penalty rewind the clock. Although, with the NFL so heavily favoring the offense, I don't understand why all pre-snap penalties don't just kill the play to begin with. It's ridiculous that the league gives the offense a free play. How come there are only a few instances where they don't kill a play for the offense? Why doesn't the defense get a chance to get a sack or turnover? Maybe the defense would prefer an incomplete pass instead of a 5 yard penalty...
I don't think you can give the offense two potential benefits -- the opportunity to make the play or then take the penalty and get the time back. it really has to be one or the other. so, you either keep the rule as is, and allow the offense the opportunity to make the play but lose the time, or you make it a dead ball foul, stop the clock, and give them the penalty.
True, and as I said, it would make so much more sense if dead ball fouls were all dead plays. I think the idea of "free" plays is stupid. The majority of them already favor the offense in a league that favors the offense too much as it is.
not a loophole teams can just hike it and spike it immediatly taking a whole second off the clock and gaining 5 yards. Brady did this a ton this year and most good qbs do it as soon as they notice no rule is needed to stop it
These were my exact thoughts when I read the OP. I was actually surprised that such a rule didn't exist already. Not that I wasn't thrilled that the Pats got screwed in that situation, but imagine if it had been the Jets? Since it did screw the Pats fully expect a rule change in the offseason.
problem is that puts the onus on the offense to catch the penalty beforehand to be able to benefit from it and if they don't then the defense gets the benefit of allowing to waste that clock and only get hit for 5 yards.
I like this idea as well. The equivalent would be allowing the play to continue on a false start, essentially giving the defense a "free" play. Any situation that gives one side an illegal advantage at the snap should be blown dead.
I don't think we will ever see a penalty that puts the time back on the clock, nor should we. the offensive penalty that leads to time running off the clock is only when the clock is running and occurs before the snap, and the offense commits an illegal procedure penalty in an attempt to run a play or spike the ball that they aren't set for in an effort to beat the clock. I don't believe a holding penalty during the play causes a time run-off, but please correct me if I am wrong. what if the 12 men on the field penalty occurs because the defender is trying to get off the field and doesn't serve any defensive benefit? do you really give the offense the opportunity to make the play against an 11 man defense and if not get the time back? that certainly doesn't seem to "right" the situation, but that is just as much a 12 man on the field penalty as lining a 12th man up and playing. and both can be accidents so you have to officiate them the same.
problem with that is that all off-sides become dead plays, and illegal procedures, etc. the game certainly benefits by having "free plays" if a defense makes a mistake, and that certainly shouldn't change to account for one specific type of scenario that can be problematic if it occurs at the very end of the game. there is no reason to change how the entire game is played just because of a concern that only occurs at the very end.
So the defense should get a free play on false starts? That would certainly make injury reports a fun read. Offsides as it is now gets QB's hit way too many times.
