From: constance@duxmail.com   
      
   On 2023-12-16, JE Corbett  wrote:   
   > I know this is supposed to be about college football, but I can't find a   
   similar   
   > newsgroup for pro football and I saw someone else post about the NFL here,   
   > so I will say this here too..   
   >   
   > First of all, let me say I'm a Chiefs fan. That said, the offsides call on   
   Toney   
   > that negated one of the greatest plays of the year was 100% the right call.   
      
   I thought so too, because before the snap I looked at it and said to   
   myself "That WR is offside, they should call that." That is very nearly   
   a first.   
      
   I see lots of borderline lineup and motion errors I think could be   
   called, but they are minor and borderline compared to that one. I   
   frequently see possible defensive neutral zone infractions, but almost   
   never the same for offense.   
      
   > I don't blame the official. I blame Toney. The official did his job right.   
   Toney   
   > did not. Chiefs nation is saying it was a ticky tack call and that Toney was   
   > only a few inches offsides. No, he wasn't. He was at least two feet offside.   
   > A lot fans don't realize there are actually two lines of scrimmage, on for   
   > offense, and one for the defense. The O-line of scrimmage runs through the   
   > back point of the ball and the D-line of scrimmage runs through the front   
   > point of the ball. The area between those two lines is what is called the   
   > neutral zone. Technically, only the center is allowed to be in the neutral   
   zone   
   > at the snap because he has to put his hands on the ball. From what I have   
   > observed, officials don't flag wideouts for putting a foot in the neutral   
   zone   
   > and if a D-lineman has his head in the neutral zone, those fouls will   
   > generally get a warning before a flag is thrown.   
      
   Yup.   
      
   > It's when a player lines up   
   > on the other team's side of the line of scrimmage a flag will be thrown   
   > without warning. If one ignores the blue line CBS superimposed and looks   
   > only at the position of the ball and Toney, he was clearly offside. The front   
   > of the ball was a foot outside the 49 yard line and Toney's foot was on the   
   > 49 yard line. A defender in press coverage could have actually put his hands   
   > on Toney before the snap without being offside. If that sort of alignment was   
   > allowed at any point in the game, it would become chaotic. As much as it   
   > hurt the Chiefs, it was the proper call.   
      
   Nice to see a Chiefs fan say that. I also appreciated the fact that   
   Mahomes came out and said he was wrong to react like he did,   
   because...he was. I am not a huge fan of his, but this admission   
   actually makes me like him a little.   
      
   --   
   Being against torture ought to be sort of a bipartisan thing.   
   -- Karl Lehenbauer   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)