PFT: Gregory was not lined up in the neutral zone

[gimmesix]

The line is straight across the field. Why wouldn't you use it. It justifies the official's call and shows he was right to call it. Was it the correct call or not when you see this photo (Page 7 posting)? Are you saying they should let things slide because "it could be too close?" That's ridiculous.

The blue line is put there by the broadcast. It has nothing to do with what the official sees on the field. The official is going by the point of the ball, which is not all the way out to the edge of the blue line.

Looking at the point of the ball and Gregory's helmet, can you say with certainty that he's across it?

There is some forced perspective here because we're not looking straight down the line of scrimmage the way the official was. Look at the point of the star and then look at the underside of the star, which lines up with the point. Is the distance between the underside of the point to the ball less than the distance from the point of the star to the crown of Gregory's helmet? Even with that it's hard to tell because the camera is pointing down at the players instead of straight across the neutral zone.

As I said, it's close, and if it's close you don't make that call. If officials made every close call, games would last for days. It is their job to ignore the inconsequential ones. If you don't view this as inconsequential, that's your prerogative.

 

[ksadler1]

I just don't understand how refs can have the eyesight to make that call but then miss the helmet to helmet hit on Kamara and also a Dak facemask

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the false starts on the Saints either. I saw AT LEAST 3 false starts on their oline last night and kept expecting to see a flag...no such luck...like I said, the refs sucked for both teams last night. The Saints just can't handle getting man-handled like they were. They knew this game shouldn't have been as close as it was...

 

[MarcusRock]

The blue line is put there by the broadcast. It has nothing to do with what the official sees on the field.

It does justify that he made the right call though. And that's what people say they want. Right calls, not letting it slide if it's close. The first time they do that to an opponent, you think people won't be screaming bloody CONSPIRACY! murder?

 

[Creeper]

I remember the Cowboys getting called for a penalty when the offensive tackle was line up so far back from the LOS. The Saints LT is lined up at least 2 yards behind the ball. His helmet is line up behind the center's butt. Is it possible the LT lining up so far behind the ball caused Gregory to move forward as he lined up?

But, instead of posting a single picture, someone post the video so we can see where both players are at the snap. That's all that counts. If Gregory leans back before the snap, even a little, there is no penalty. even in this picture is close but not technically in the neutral zone. When we are watcing football this weekend, pay close attention to how the DE lines up - and the LTs. See if anyone gets the call that Gregory was called.

 

[Little Jr]

If the spot was at the 50, yes he was. If you look at the photo, he's the ONLY Cowboy over the 50, and by good margin. The blue line for the line of scrimmage cannot overlay the white line marker because it needs a green background so that too tells me the LOS was probably the 50.

Lol don't look at the blue line or the white. Look at ball. The ball is where the blue line is. They were slightly short of the 50. I never seen a lined up in the neutral zone call like this. When they call it it's always been obvious , at least every time I've seen it called in the past 25 years. This one, just looking, it doesn't look like he is and i have to actually look very close to say he might be. Even blew the pic up and it's still close but ur might be a inch over lol. It was a bad call like many others this game . It all equaled out at games end.

 

[ksadler1]

When we are watcing football this weekend, pay close attention to how the DE lines up - and the LTs. See if anyone gets the call that Gregory was called.

EXACTLY...The Saints did it on their next D possession. No call, go figure...

 

[gimmesix]

I just don't understand how refs can have the eyesight to make that call but then miss the helmet to helmet hit on Kamara and also a Dak facemask

This is a much easier call to make than ones where bodies are flying around. The official is essentially looking down the point of the ball. Anyone clearly beyond the point of the ball is usually called for a neutral zone infraction.

I found a good example of a neutral zone infraction that should have been called here:

 

[beware_d-ware]

Tons of HUGE missed calls on both teams last night. The 3rd quarter was massively slanted against us, but they went back and got the Saints later as well.

-Obvious 1st down we shouldn't have got from the Bease, that should have been 4th and 2
-Kinda iffy PI against Cooper to clinch it
-No flag on Tre'Quan Smith for what was definitely a worse PI than Cooper.
-Missed facemask on Dak.
-Called facemask on Brees from Gregory that was kind of iffy
-Missed head shot on Kamara.

Change any of those calls, and you could pretty easily change the outcome of the game. The refs completely blew it for both teams.

 

[JustChip]

If the spot was at the 50, yes he was. If you look at the photo, he's the ONLY Cowboy over the 50, and by good margin. The blue line for the line of scrimmage cannot overlay the white line marker because it needs a green background so that too tells me the LOS was probably the 50.

Except per the link above, "The neutral zone is, per the official rulebook, the “space between the forward and backward points of the ball (planes) and extends to the sidelines.” What is missing in this though is how the movement of the ball by the center after he grasps it affects the neutral zone. E.g., is it based on where the ball original was placed by the officials, or is it where it "rests" after the center positions it. I'm just guessing, but it would seem it would have to be the later simply because it's the only visible spot when the ball is snapped. If so, Gregory isn't lined up in the neutral zone.

 

[Kaiser]

The blue line is put there by the broadcast. It has nothing to do with what the official sees on the field. The official is going by the point of the ball, which is not all the way out to the edge of the blue line.

Five more pages of this thread and you will ruin the Jurrasic Park movie for him.

 

[Captain43Crash]

Hmmm. People must not have seen the photo and are just sticking to their original points. Let me post it again.

Looks very close. The other players on Dallas are off the ball quit a bit. I don’t think it should have been called.

 

[HowardC]

How about illegal formation on the offense for the LT being lined up in the backfield?

 

[ksadler1]

It does justify that he made the right call though. And that's what people say they want. Right calls, not letting it slide if it's close. The first time they do that to an opponent, you think people won't be screaming bloody CONSPIRACY! murder?

Not one person here is against "right calls". What we are against is the inconsistency of the refs to call them equally for both teams. The Saints were lined up in the neutral zone the next time their D was on the field...no call...

 

[gimmesix]

It does justify that he made the right call though. And that's what people say they want. Right calls, not letting it slide if it's close. The first time they do that to an opponent, you think people won't be screaming bloody CONSPIRACY! murder?

It doesn't mean he made the right call. It doesn't mean he didn't make the right call.

It seems to justify it in your mind, but the visual evidence is unclear, which is why I believe the call shouldn't have been made. Officials keep their flags in their pocket on holding calls where they don't feel that it affected the play. (Same with other penalties, such as allowing a lot of contact by defensive backs.) If Gregory was in the neutral zone, it was not by enough to affect the play.

 

[mikeb18768]

He is not "lined up" in the neutral zone. The zone is the space between tip of the ball to the back of the ball. By rule lining up on the tip of the ball is not the neutral zone. The LT lining up off the line is clear as day.

 

[Nightman]

How about illegal formation on the offense for the LT being lined up in the backfield?

Exactly....he is a yard and a half off the line

Bogus call and it came late

 

[HowardC]

Exactly....he is a yard and a half off the line

Bogus call and it came late

They called that crap to give Brees another chance and it worked.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

I felt bad for Gregory after those 2 penalties. He looked dejected. I wanted to give him a hug and tell him it would be ok

You know out there playing his butt off and feeling bad but he still makes you wanna pull your hair out. LOL

 

[Little Jr]

This is a much easier call to make than ones where bodies are flying around. The official is essentially looking down the point of the ball. Anyone clearly beyond the point of the ball is usually called for a neutral zone infraction.

I found a good example of a neutral zone infraction that should have been called here:

This actually this happens quite a bit. DT, specifically the 1 and 0 tech, are in the neutral zone quite a bit. Or at least as much or more than Gregory was lol

 

[ThreeandOut]

99 times out of 100 that wouldn't be called offsides in an NFL game. Just like in the Washington game, 999 times out of 1,000 they don't call a penalty for the long snapper moving the ball on the field goal. Isn't it amazing that that the common denominator for the one time both of these penalties are called is when it's against the Cowboys?