StarOfGlory
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Many people were wondering how the refs can simply award a team a touchdown after a defending team continues to commit consecutive penalties on a goal line play. We saw what was happening on the tush push that saw Luvu trying to do his best Polamalu or Dawkins impression.
This is a variation of an old rule from--wait for it--rugby. I played rugby after football, and this happened once in a rugby game I played in. To score a try in rugby (try is their touchdown), a player must ground, or touch the ball over the opposing goal line. Where the ball is grounded determines the angle at which the scorer will attempt his 2-pt kick. There is no set distance for the kick, as the kicker can kick from as close or far away as he wants to. But where the ball is grounded determines the angle of the kick. The kicker can then set what he believes is the best place for the kick by picking his distance relative to the angle of the kick.
However, the opposing side wants to push the scorer as far to the edge of the field as possible, making the kick more difficult. Or, they simply want to drag out the plays so the player trying to score cannot do so. The side about to be scored on can simply keep committing fouls (penalties) to slow the game and make it much more difficult to get the try. Once the try is finally achieved, the officials can, in rare instances, decide that the other side was purposely committing fouls to impede the other team. The official has the option to tell the person that scored the try that a kick is not necessary and award the scoring team the two points automatically.
This is one of the rules left over from the early days of NFL-style football being an outgrowth of rugby. The lateral is another, as well as the NFL variation of free kick rules.
This is a variation of an old rule from--wait for it--rugby. I played rugby after football, and this happened once in a rugby game I played in. To score a try in rugby (try is their touchdown), a player must ground, or touch the ball over the opposing goal line. Where the ball is grounded determines the angle at which the scorer will attempt his 2-pt kick. There is no set distance for the kick, as the kicker can kick from as close or far away as he wants to. But where the ball is grounded determines the angle of the kick. The kicker can then set what he believes is the best place for the kick by picking his distance relative to the angle of the kick.
However, the opposing side wants to push the scorer as far to the edge of the field as possible, making the kick more difficult. Or, they simply want to drag out the plays so the player trying to score cannot do so. The side about to be scored on can simply keep committing fouls (penalties) to slow the game and make it much more difficult to get the try. Once the try is finally achieved, the officials can, in rare instances, decide that the other side was purposely committing fouls to impede the other team. The official has the option to tell the person that scored the try that a kick is not necessary and award the scoring team the two points automatically.
This is one of the rules left over from the early days of NFL-style football being an outgrowth of rugby. The lateral is another, as well as the NFL variation of free kick rules.
