Re: Unusual Penalty Enforcement in Buffalo-Houston Game

"Paige Miller" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> On Stardate 11/23/2003 3:02 AM, the following keys were mysteriously
> typed at [EMAIL PROTECTED]'s keyboard...
> > On 2003-11-17 [EMAIL PROTECTED] said:
> >
> >    >If one player (not the defensive captain) accepts the penalty, and
> >    >then if subsequently the defensive captain declines the penalty,
> >    >what SHOULD the ref do?
> >
> > In rugby the referee is not necessarily introduced to the captains, although
> > they may confer pre-game.  The tradition during the game is for the referee
> > to recognize whoever speaks for a team at a given time.  Therefore, when a
> > choice is presented, it behooves everyone other than the captain to SHUT UP!
>
> Thanks for this info, but it is irrelevant to NFL football, where the
> referee clearly meets the captain(s) prior to the game, and knows who
> they are.
>
> > I think this is a good general practice.  It should not be a ref's
> > responsibility to determine who a team's captain is.  The ref should just
> > take the word of whoever answers first.  This saves time, and if a player
> > other than the captain directs false info at the ref and thereby costs hir
> > team, that team (and player) should eat it.
>
> Again, while all of your info is fine, I still would like to know what
> NFL refs are instructed to do in this situation. I'd also be curious to
> hear what players are told to do in this situation by their coaches.
>
> > This seems already to be the case w.r.t. calling a team time out.  You
> > recognize any player's request, and you don't let the team take it back if
> > the captain tries to countermand it.
>
> I believe the rule specifically allows any player to request a time out.

NFL 4-3-3a

Penalties for all fouls may be declined by the Captain of the offended
team, with six Exceptions.   NFL 14-6

--  Scott