Big Ten: Michigan State-Nebraska refs handled out-of-bounds play right

[Saunders]

"Per NCAA rules, the instant replay crew cannot review the severity of contact, as that is a judgment call handled by the officials on the field," the Big Ten said in a statement to ESPN.com. "If the player went out of bounds without contact, he may not return to the field to make the catch unless it has been touched first by an opponent. The instant replay crew did confirm contact between the players, that the wide receiver reestablished himself in the field of play and completed the catch. After the replay review, the referee announced that the play stands as called on the field. The intent of instant replay is not to review all judgment calls."

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/14086557/big-ten-says-officials-correctly-handled-nebraska-game-winning-td-vs-michigan-state

 

[Redux]

Spartan fans and the rest of the nation will say it was a BS call. Won't change the fact they got it right.

 

[HuskerInLostWages]

Spartan fans and the rest of the nation will say it was a BS call. Won't change the fact they got it right.

I'm not sure a lot of us NU fans thought it wasn't a bad call as well, I'll openly admit I thought it was a bad call but I also will openly state I will take it. Apparently it wasn't a bad call and it went in our favor anyways.

 

[Saunders]

Big Ten officiating coordinator Bill Carollo told CBS Sports on Sunday that he thought there was slight contact by Edmondson and supported his official's call.

"The degree of that (contact) you can debate for the next 10 years," Carollo said. "When you've got 4.3 speed running down the sideline, it doesn't take a whole lot to move you. It's not one of those obvious ones that people will say he was pushed. These defensive backs are very well coached and he was probably taught exactly that way. I wouldn't say to coach these guys differently, but they know that's the risk when you run down the sideline with them. ... He's squeezing the sideline. That's what the defensive back is supposed to do. He's trying to get him out of bounds."

Carollo said he felt "pretty comfortable" with the positioning of the official. "I pay him to make those calls," he said. "Either way, we're going to have to make a decision. You take a touchdown away, it's a big play. Do I wish it was more obvious? Sure. But replay can't fix that. It's a tough judgment call."

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/writer/jon-solomon/25367501/big-ten-officials-used-proper-mechanics-on-nebraska-michigan-state-td

 

[Dagerow]

I don't know for sure if it was a good or bad call, as they didn't have a good angle of the contact that resulted in him going out of bounds. But, from what we did have, it did look a little weak.

(But the person in Sanders45 post does make a good point).

 

[Kernal]

Big Ten officiating coordinator Bill Carollo told CBS Sports on Sunday that he thought there was slight contact by Edmondson and supported his official's call.

"The degree of that (contact) you can debate for the next 10 years," Carollo said. "When you've got 4.3 speed running down the sideline, it doesn't take a whole lot to move you. It's not one of those obvious ones that people will say he was pushed. These defensive backs are very well coached and he was probably taught exactly that way. I wouldn't say to coach these guys differently, but they know that's the risk when you run down the sideline with them. ... He's squeezing the sideline. That's what the defensive back is supposed to do. He's trying to get him out of bounds."

Carollo said he felt "pretty comfortable" with the positioning of the official. "I pay him to make those calls," he said. "Either way, we're going to have to make a decision. You take a touchdown away, it's a big play. Do I wish it was more obvious? Sure. But replay can't fix that. It's a tough judgment call."

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/writer/jon-solomon/25367501/big-ten-officials-used-proper-mechanics-on-nebraska-michigan-state-td

This was just posted in the other thread too. In my opinion, this is exactly what the MSU DB was trying to do. So when called on it, you can play the "aw shucks" card, but c'mon. Tell me those DBs aren't taught to do exactly what was done, which is ride the WR out of bounds so that he's (hopefully) ineligible.

 

[Red Five]

[No message]

 

[Husker John]

 

[Landlord]

It was a bad call, but it was a bad judgment call immediately at the point of the ref throwing his hat off evaluating the contact "forcing" Reilly out of bounds.

All the B1G is saying is that given that judgment, they followed all the procedures properly and correctly.

 

[RedRex]

It was the call I thought they got right. Yes, DB's will try to ride a receiver out of bounds, usually they don't get the time to re-establish themselves on the field before the ball gets there. Reilly did.

Two calls bothered me more, one was the no call on A.Moore. Official was looking right at the MSU DB trapping Moore's arm in the crook of his elbow. Worse, I really thought there was cause for a targeting call on the last hit Westy took. Helmet to helmet with the DB using the crown.

Par for the course from B1G officials I guess.

 

[Micheal]

As the rule states it is based on "contact" and a receiver going out of bounds. Contact is or isn't. When we start talking about the force of "contact", how are we to determine the amount of force that intiates being forced out?

 

[GBRFAN]

Landlord - what is your love of the word "forcing"

Rule uses the word contact.....

 

[dvdcrr]

I dont know if it was a good or bad call. I was not right there looking at it through the refs eyes. I do know there was contact and the receiver went out of bounds. I also know the official gets paid to call it as he sees it, thats what he did. The Big 10 backed it. Sometimes you are the windshield, sometimes you are the bug. On to next week.

 

[Landlord]

Landlord - what is your love of the word "forcing"

Rule uses the word contact.....

All I'm saying is that there's a gradiented area of grey involved in all receiver/defensive back interaction that is ultimately left up to the on-the-fly judgment of the referee. We'd be beyond pissed if this happened against our team, because there's no great argument to always call it legal, and there's no great argument to always flag it either.

 

[Elf]

Landlord - what is your love of the word "forcing"

Rule uses the word contact.....

All I'm saying is that there's a gradiented area of grey involved in all receiver/defensive back interaction that is ultimately left up to the on-the-fly judgment of the referee. We'd be beyond pissed if this happened against our team, because there's no great argument to always call it legal, and there's no great argument to always flag it either.

If the Huskers were on the receiving end of this exact same situation I wouldn't be pissed.

Initially when this play happened I thought we had gotten the benefit of a terrible call. Once I learned what the rule was I see that it was the right call. I also learned that in these types of situations the benefit of the doubt ALWAYS goes to the receiver. And I learned a bit more about the game of football. Pretty nifty stuff.