The SEC’s officials supervisor said the field crew made the correct call on LSU’s fake field goal in the fourth quarter of the Tigers’ 33-29 win at Florida on Saturday.
Rogers Redding, the conference’s head of officiating, said through an SEC spokesperson that all rules were applied correctly as LSU converted the trick play that led to its game-winning touchdown.
Florida is up 29-26 with :35 left. LSU lines up for an apparent 53-yard field goal. Holder Derek Helton takes the snap and blindly throws it backwards over his head from Florida’s 43-yard line as kicker Josh Jasper runs around him to the right. The ball appears to bounce on the 43 before Jasper collects it and starts running. He gets 5 yards, converting a fourth-and-3.
(Click here and go to point No. 2 for a video of the play)
Redding did not mention whether it should have been ruled a forward pass. Looking the replay, there is not strong enough evidence to overturn the call on the field, which was that it was not a forward pass.
So, here’s the question: Should the ball have been whistled dead due to Rule 7-2-2a?
Here is the rule, straight from the NCAA manual: “When a backward pass or fumble is caught or recovered by an inbounds player, the ball continues in play.”
EXCEPTION: “On fourth down before a change of team possession, when a Team A fumble is caught or recovered by a Team A player other than the fumbler, the ball is dead. If the catch or recovery is beyond the spot of the fumble, the ball is returned to the spot of the fumble. If the catch or recovery is behind the spot of the fumble, the ball remains at the spot of the catch or recovery.”
Reading that, it would indicate the play should have been dead once an LSU player other than the fumbler recovered it. However, the reason that rule is not a factor on the play is because it technically was not a fumble, the SEC said.
Rule 2-10-1 defines a fumble as, “any act other than passing, kicking or successful handling that results in loss of player possession.”
Because Helton’s move was considered a “backward pass,” it is not a fumble. Thus the aforementioned fourth-down fumble rule was not in effect.
There also was a question as to whether Helton was down when he was holding the ball with his knee on the ground because LSU did not follow through with an actual kick.
An SEC spokesperson said the officials got that part of the call correct, too, because of Rule 4-1-3b:
A live ball becomes dead and an official shall sound his whistle or declare it dead when any part of the ball carrier’s body, except his hand or foot, touches the ground or when the ball carrier is tackled or otherwise falls or loses possession of the ball as he contacts the ground with any part of his body, except his hand or foot [EXCEPTION: The ball remains alive when an offensive player has simulated a kick or is in position to kick the ball held for a place kick by a teammate. The ball may be kicked, passed or advanced by rule.].
Because Jasper technically was in reasonable position to attempt a kick, Helton qualified for the exception.
