National Football League

Mike Pereira's Oct. 5 mailbag

Published Oct. 5, 2010 1:00 a.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

Hi everyone, here are a few more Mailbag questions this week and I’m happy to answer them. (Read the latest chat recap here).

Jim M. from The Woodlands, Texas, wrote:

"Please explain what the offensive team players must do when using a "no-huddle" offense and making substitutions. Can a player just run onto the field and assume his position, or does he have to first run to inside the hash marks then go back out to his position? Watching the teams using the no huddle, I get the idea that they are just swapping guys at the sidelines and the defense has no idea who just came in, and who just went out of the game."

Hi Jim: There really are two areas to discuss here. First of all, an incoming substitute must get inside the numbers on his side of the field at some point prior to the ball being snapped. The second issue is that if the offense substitutes into a no-huddle offense, the officials will hold up the snap and give the defense the opportunity to match up to the offensive substitutions.

If the offense does not substitute, the defense is on its own, and the officials will not hold up play to let the defense substitute.

Another little tidbit; this match-up rule does not apply inside of two minutes of either half. The defense is on its own unless the offense is in a punting formation.

Kyle from Arlington, Texas, wrote:

"Throughout the Week 4 Steelers-Ravens game, the Ravens left tackle (Michael Oher) repeatedly took a step back prior to the snap, but it was never called. I thought this was the definition of a false start. Am I missing something here?"

Hi Kyle: Officials stay away from calling this unless it is very obvious. Too often, it is so close it is hard to tell with the naked eye in real time whether he starts his movement just as the center starts to snap the ball. It is not a sudden and abrupt movement that simulates the start of the snap. Asking officials to get this would lead them to guess and would result in too many incorrect calls.

Greg from Seattle wrote:

"I think that replay is necessary, but it takes so long and really interrupts the flow of the game. There's got to be a way to make it faster. Also, I see the refs are really hesitant to make any call at all. I think they're scared to look dumb on replay and as a result they almost use the replay to make the original call."

Hi Greg: I think the process has been slow in a few of the games recently although the overall stoppage time is down this year compared to last season as this point in the season. Keep in mind that the referee has 60 seconds to make a decision. If he reverses the call on the field he has to figure out where to spot the ball and whether or not the clock has to be adjusted.

A lot goes into a reversal. That being said, the NFL is looking to expedite the process.

I couldn't disagree more on your assertion that the officials become hesitant. Replay does not make the initial call on the field. The officials do, and the only way replay can get involved is to challenge the ruling that is made on the field. That makes no sense.

Michael R. from Aurora, Ill., wrote:

"Watching the Week 3 Bears-Packers game, there were a series of Packers penalties which resulted in 'half the distance to the goal' yard losses. However, the ball was already inside the 1-yard line. So what's the use of that penalty? Isn't it actually beneficial to the offense to get a peek at what the defense is trying to do? Shouldn't the team be penalized by a loss of down instead of moving the ball back one inch?"

Good point, Michael, but not really practical.

Some people have talked about adding the penalty yardage to the line to gain, so that a false start on the offense when the ball is snapped at their 1-yard line would be added on to the line to gain at the 11-yard line. The offense would then be penalized the full amount of the yardage.

The defense could get the same advantage if the ball was at their 1-yard line and they encroach.

They would only loss half a yard. The half-the-distance rule has been in the book forever, and I don't see that changing on any level of football.

Thanks everyone, for all of your interesting questions to the mailbag. They get better and better each week! I really enjoy answering your questions and please, keep them coming! Talk to you next week.

share

Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

National Football League