Let me show you how the refs completely botched the spotting of the ball after Dak's slide

[SteveTheCowboy]

The ref still has to touch the ball. Those are the rules. We need to stop blaming the ref and take the loss. We had 14 penalties for 89 yards which is more than our yards rushing. 6 of those penalties were pre snap penalties. Our $100 million dollars players did not show up. We got outcoached, out played, and basically the Niners wanted it more. Stop making excuses. We lost. Let’s get over it.

Just because we suck doesn't mean we don't deserve fair and adept officiating.

Yes...most of the penalties were earned. But the refs have to be prepared for the next play as much as the players. Releasing the ball with one second to go and calling delay of game? I've seen them stop play for WAY less than that.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

1. If you look at the Rams play, Woods spots the ball himself a full yard up from where he was tackled. I think the difference in the two situations is perhaps the visual perception created by Biadasz holding the ball. Woods immediately places the ball down, while Biadasz is holding it and then spots it himself just as the ref is approaching. It may have created the perception in the refs mind that he needed to spot it himself, rather than in the Rams situation where the ball is already sitting on the ground waiting for him to just run up and touch it. So while I disagree with Romo's take that "you have to hand the ball to the official" but if the argument is that Dak or Biadasz should have just immediately set the ball on the ground, then I'm fine with that. If they do that, the referee probably doesn't feel the need to grab the ball and set it back.

2. Perhaps. It's hard to say exactly where or when the ref started moving without seeing him before he comes into camera view. Perhaps the Gamepass Coaches Film will show a better view of it.

The ball being snapped in time is exactly why I contend there should have been one more play. If the ref simply touches the ball rather than trying to re-spot it, they likely get it clocked with a second remaining.

The Rams got away with a favorable spot in the example shown. The best way to remove potential for added delay is to hand the ref the ball and let him spot it.

In our situation the ref was right to re-spot the ball. Biadasz didn’t spot the ball accurately.

 

[boysbeyond4ever]

more like dak shirking responsibility and blaming others like the whiny millennial he is.

Romo, Aikman and Staubach always took public responsibility, even when they had been screwed or other teammates had screwed up

Horrible look all around. You can rest assured that Dak’s agents have already been in his ear and that there will be a public apology today.

Agreed. But understandable when you've had questionable call after questionable call go against you and hardly any go your way. I would have preferred he let McCarthy say that stuff about the refs and let it be there.

 

[Dale]

I would agree that the official's execution was anything but textbook, and that the process will be reviewed in the offseason.

But it served as nearly the perfect ending to a Cowboy playoff game -- games where snap-and-holds are anything but routine and where the process of a catch is unknown.

I can only imagine what happens next when we return to the postseason again in two years.

 

[DOUBLE WING]

The Rams got away with a favorable spot in the example shown. The best way to remove potential for added delay is to hand the ref the ball and let him spot it.

In our situation the ref was right to re-spot the ball. Biadasz didn’t spot the ball accurately.

There's no prerequisite to hand the ball to the referee. If anything, they should have immediately placed the ball on the turf. If they do, based on my anecdotal viewing history, it's likely the referee just runs up and taps the ball in place. It's a process the NFL would be smart to formalize in the offseason.

 

[boysbeyond4ever]

1. If you look at the Rams play, Woods spots the ball himself a full yard up from where he was tackled. I think the difference in the two situations is perhaps the visual perception created by Biadasz holding the ball. Woods immediately places the ball down, while Biadasz is holding it and then spots it himself just as the ref is approaching. It may have created the perception in the refs mind that he needed to spot it himself, rather than in the Rams situation where the ball is already sitting on the ground waiting for him to just run up and touch it. So while I disagree with Romo's take that "you have to hand the ball to the official" but if the argument is that Dak or Biadasz should have just immediately set the ball on the ground, then I'm fine with that. If they do that, the referee probably doesn't feel the need to grab the ball and set it back.

2. Perhaps. It's hard to say exactly where or when the ref started moving without seeing him before he comes into camera view. Perhaps the Gamepass Coaches Film will show a better view of it.

The ball being snapped in time is exactly why I contend there should have been one more play. If the ref simply touches the ball rather than trying to re-spot it, they likely get it clocked with a second remaining.

The other thing is it wasn't the Umpire who touched that ball - it was the Back Judge, which makes me wonder was the back judge closer and why couldn't he mark the ball down more quickly as the Back Judge did in the Rams game.?

Add that to some bizarre calls (defensive holding on running plays twice when that is almost never called even though just like offensive holding defensive holing can be called almost every play,and is called far less often than offensive holding even, a key offside where the replay shows a false start before that clearly and in a similar situation a false start on Dallas for the same type of movement.) and that's where the sense of the refs having an outsized role in the outcome comes from.

 

[cmoney23]

We have to go back to the Cowboys' last brutal playoff defeat, in 2019 against the Rams.

In that game, the Rams were driving just before halftime to try and secure a long field goal attempt for a kicker some of you may have heard of, named Greg Zuerlein.

With no timeouts left, Jared Goff completes a pass across the middle to Robert Woods, who is tackled and immediately spots the ball himself. The center grabs the ball and the offense gets in position to snap it. At no point does anyone hand the ball to the referee. In fact, if you blink, you may have missed the referee completely. He zooms into the screen momentarily, lightly taps the top of the football, then scurries out of the way so the Rams can snap the ball and clock it.

Watch:

Contrary to what Tony Romo would like you to believe, the referee does not need to be physically handed the football, they simply need to touch it. Biadasz had the ball in hand, on the turf, with four seconds left on the clock. A competent referee simply needed to run to the line (but not into the quarterback), touch the football, and then get out of the way, allowing it to be snapped and clocked with about one second to spare.

A few things:

1. This is not the reason the Cowboys lost.

2. Asking Dak to run, slide, and clock the ball was still a dumb, and far too risky, play call.

3. This is not a conspiracy against the Cowboys; it's incompetent officiating.

4. Regardless of points 1, 2 & 3, the fact of the matter is the Cowboys absolutely should have gotten the opportunity to run one more play from the 24-yard-line.

Great post. Thanks for sharing and putting this together.

 

[NotForLong]

 

[aikemirv]

You think this year was bad? After Dak’s comment after the game…just wait and see what the officiating is like next year. Every year for the rest of his career?

HOnestly it can't be any worse - who cares!

 

[raw2war]

I thought the ref moved the ball back a bit before setting it down.

It was a bad play call with no timeouts. That or Dak ran 5 yards more than needed. No no, it was a bad play call.

Two Hail Marys from the 40 are better than that. Give your pro Wide Receivers a chance to come down with the ball in the end zone.

 

[NotForLong]

You think this year was bad? After Dak’s comment after the game…just wait and see what the officiating is like next year. Every year for the rest of his career?

 

[Bigdog]

Just because we suck doesn't mean we don't deserve fair and adept officiating.

Yes...most of the penalties were earned. But the refs have to be prepared for the next play as much as the players. Releasing the ball with one second to go and calling delay of game? I've seen them stop play for WAY less than that.

Agree but refs are human too and they will make mistakes. I thought Parson was held by the Wr on the Niners first TD but it wasn’t called. There have been many missed calls throughout the history of sports- Hand of God and Dez catch come to mind but they weren’t and we just need to get over it. What happened after the game was not classy at all and we are better than that as fans. I am frustrated too but more so on how we played than how the refs officiated.

 

[NotForLong]

Referee should be called for "holding".

@DOUBLE WING

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

The other thing is it wasn't the Umpire who touched that ball - it was the Back Judge, which makes me wonder was the back judge closer and why couldn't he mark the ball down more quickly as the Back Judge did in the Rams game.?

Add that to some bizarre calls (defensive holding on running plays twice when that is almost never called even though just like offensive holding defensive holing can be called almost every play,and is called far less often than offensive holding even, a key offside where the replay shows a false start before that clearly and in a similar situation a false start on Dallas for the same type of movement.) and that's where the sense of the refs having an outsized role in the outcome comes from.

I don't understand why folks revert to this form of thinking "that's never called" to somehow feel indignant.

Are you actually claiming that those two defensive holds weren't indeed penalties?

 

[NotForLong]

His point about looking for the official and handing him the ball is wrong. The Rams GIF in the first post of this thread proves that.

Orlovsky is creating a fictional rule. There is no requirement to hand the ball to the referee.

Does the ref have to touch it ? . . is throwing the ball to the ref a form of the ref touching it?

Can you stop already?

 

[Oz-of-Cowboy-Country]

In the last couple of minutes in each half, I thought the umpire was suppose to be behind the LB's just for this purpose. He can't quickly spot the ball if he's 15 yards behind the end of the play.

 

[mahoneybill]

I would agree that the official's execution was anything but textbook, and that the process will be reviewed in the offseason.

But it served as nearly the perfect ending to a Cowboy playoff game -- games where snap-and-holds are anything but routine and where the process of a catch is unknown.

I can only imagine what happens next when we return to the postseason again in two years.

---------
But it served as nearly the perfect ending to a Cowboy playoff game -- games where snap-and-holds are anything but routine and where the process of a catch is unknown.

We do get involved is some head scratchers at the end of close games.

 

[lostar2009]

It took the refs 9 secs to set that ball. Leaving them with 3 to 4 secs left on the clock. The Rams had more time than the Cowboys. This is more proof the run was a bad call. They just didnt have enough time.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

It took the refs 9 secs to set that ball. Leaving them with 3 to 4 secs left on the clock. The Rams had more time than the Cowboys. This is more proof the run was a bad call. They just didnt have enough time.

It didn’t take 9 seconds.

 

[DOUBLE WING]

In the last couple of minutes in each half, I thought the umpire was suppose to be behind the LB's just for this purpose. He can't quickly spot the ball if he's 15 yards behind the end of the play.

I believe it's still the responsibility of the umpire, but I could be wrong.

In this play from earlier this season, Davante Adams catches the ball and the umpire does a great job here - he's in the picture as soon as Adams is tackled and thus, Adams tosses him the ball to spot it, like Romo and Orlovsky claim Dak should have done. And maybe he would have if there was an ump there to hand the ball to:

However, two plays later, Adams catches it and it appears that the Packers spot the ball themselves. You can see the ump run in at the last second to lightly tap the ball and then get out of the way:

There's no rhyme or reason to how the umpires handle this scenario. Which is one of the reasons why it's a dumb play to call with that little time left, because you're leaving far too much to chance and expecting a perfect storm of events to occur and allow you to clock it with a second left. But this is a process the NFL needs to formalize. There are too many instances of teams spotting the ball themselves that the "the ump has to spot the ball" talking point falls flat for me.