Here’s what happened:
It’s fourth down and there’s three second to go. Bonner trails by a point at Judge’s 28-yard line. Field goal is not an option, so it’s Hail Mary time.
Bonner QB Jimmy Haley throws it up, but Judge player comes down with the ball. It’s an interception and the clock has expired.
Officials indeed ruled interception, but Judge defender never takes a knee. He drops the ball in the end zone and walks out of play to join his teammates in celebration.
“Grab the ball!” yelled one Bonner coach on the sideline.
Sure enough, a Friar picks up the loose ball in the end zone, about 5-7 seconds (rough estimate) after Judge kid had picked off Haley.
The officials never ruled the play dead after the interception Instead, they proceeded to leave Lincoln High stadium.
Bonner coaches and players pleaded with the officials to make an official ruling. So, they did the right thing and convened. They talked for about 30 seconds and the referee informed Bonner coach Greg Bernhardt that the Judge player had stepped out of bounds after the INT.
Unless the kid’s back foot hit the white line exactly as he caught the ball in the far left corner of the end zone, I never saw anyone step out of play.
I also didn’t see the back judge make the touchback signal.
What does everyone think? Interception and fumble, or interception and end of game?
Wow, that is definitely a live ball if he didn’t step out of bounds. Is there any video of this?
I asked Bonner coach if they’ll protest the game. He said they won’t plan on it.
Yes there is video and no real controversy. The ball is broken up in the corner of the end zone and the tipped ball is intercepted. You can’t be 100% sure from the video that he stepped out of bounds, but what you do see is the sideline official right in front play put the whistle to his mouth and the official in the back of the end zone cross his arms showing the play dead and both officials started walking away from the field. Then the excited player ran out to the 3 or 4 yard line where he put down to start their celebration. About 2 seconds later a Bonner player picked up the ball and ran into the end zone without any officials on the field to make a decision.
Good description of events. Though I was standing nearby, I don’t recall seeing the officials make any definitive rulings after the INT, which is what Bonner was partially arguing. Then again, I wasn’t focusing on the officials. From my angle, it looked like the Judge kid never stepped out.
obviously an interception and fumble
From NHFS rules:
Art. 3…It is a touchback when:…
d. A forward pass is intercepted in B’s endzone and becomes dead there in B’s possession.
Sounds to me like the ball became dead as soon as it was intercepted, should not be any controversy. He didn’t need to step out of bounds or knee the ball and he couldn’t have fumbled the ball because he was “down” as soon as he picked it off, in my interpretation of the rule.
The PIAA record for an interception return is 109 yards by Sishon Solomon from Dobbins Vo-Tech in 2011. He intercepted a pass in his own endzone and returned it for a touchdown. Since this record is accepted by the PIAA, I have to assume a ball intercepted in the endzone is not automatically dead.
I’m just reporting what I read in the NFHS rulebook. My guess is that the official should have blown it dead in the Dobbins game and did not. Once he let it go, the PIAA kind of has to recognize it. No one has ever accused the Philadelphia Public League of having the best played, or best officiated, games.
Once again, the coaches complain about the rules and don’t even know the rules! Ball is dead in the end zone once the defensive player has possession, touchback.