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From: jjc@houxa.UUCP (J.CARBONARO)
Newsgroups: net.sport.football
Subject: bad officiating
Message-ID: <941@houxa.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 11-Feb-86 15:39:01 EST
Article-I.D.: houxa.941
Posted: Tue Feb 11 15:39:01 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 12-Feb-86 20:39:17 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 35

<Well, if its the play I'm thinking of, Mcmahon not only called the snap,
<but also threw the ball at the ground, out of bounds.  Now, I've never
<heard of this 10 seconds off the clock rule, but any way you slice it,
<the Bears get to kick the F.G.  If the Pats were off side, then the ball
<is moved  and the Bears get one more play.  If the Bears are off side, then
<since the half cannot end on an offensive penalty, they get a play.  If the
<refs dont call either team off sides, then McMahon gets an intentional 
<grounding penalty, and one more play.  If they don't call anything, then its
<an incomplete pass, and stops the clock with three seconds left, and you
<guessed it, one more play. I credited McMahon with some quick thinking
<so that no matter what, they would get the F.G. in.  I didn't think it
<was bad officiating at all

<					Addison
<					ihnp4!ihlpa!ibyf

I HONESTLY hate to sound like a know-it-all.  I realize that, usually,
these questions are a matter of opinion and NOone is right or wrong.
Here it comes..
But in THIS case, you're wrong.  Seriously, the OFFICIALS themselves
even admitted they made a mistake.  Patriots (or Bears) being offside
would not have been a legitimate call.  The referee gives both teams
a "reasonable" interval to get ready.  HowEVER you define "reasonable",
the ref decided it wasn't yet time.  He was watching both teams and
PREPARING to signal to the Bears that it was OK to snap the ball.
He never came close.  McMahon called for a snap and threw it out of
bounds with 3 seconds to go.  The rule STATES that a 10 second (and, I
THINK 5 yd) penalty is assessed.
If such a rule doesn't exist, ANYone would use that trick close to the
goal line to kill the clock (who cares about 5 yds when you're at the 5
yd line?).
Again, the point is - the ref had not yet signalled it was OK to snap
the ball - something he HAS to do before it's legal.

It would have made a difference in the game (yea', it would have been 43-10)