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POSTED 2:46 p.m. EDT, October 13, 2006
CLARIFICATION OF THE "K" BALL PROCEDURES
A reader who used to work for one of the NFL teams has advised us, in response to Saturday's "slick ball" story, that the specific procedure for the "K" balls is to use one of them repeatedly until it no longer is available.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed that this is indeed the protocol.
"Use it 'til you lose it," Aiello said via e-mail.
If that's the case, we're confused about what happened with the ball used on the field goal attempt that was nullified by the time out taken by Bills coach Dick Jauron. In theory, it should have been sent back to the center for use in the second attempt. But, apparently, an unused "K" ball was introduced into the game for the second try.
In our view, the better approach would be to use one "K" ball after another. Then, by the end of the game, each of the "K" balls will have been used at least one, possibly twice.
And how about using less than 12 "K" balls? Do they really need a dozen of them?
We suggest using only three "K" balls, and instructing the officials to make their best efforts to ensure that the "K" ball is retrieved after every kick. Then, once the three "K" balls are gone, a regular ball would be used.
The broader purpose of the "K" ball rule was to prevent kickers and punters from doctoring footballs. There's got to be a way to prevent these balls from being microwaved or filled with flubber gas without incurring a risk that games will be decided by the insertion of a slick ball at the worst possible moment.
CLARIFICATION OF THE "K" BALL PROCEDURES
A reader who used to work for one of the NFL teams has advised us, in response to Saturday's "slick ball" story, that the specific procedure for the "K" balls is to use one of them repeatedly until it no longer is available.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed that this is indeed the protocol.
"Use it 'til you lose it," Aiello said via e-mail.
If that's the case, we're confused about what happened with the ball used on the field goal attempt that was nullified by the time out taken by Bills coach Dick Jauron. In theory, it should have been sent back to the center for use in the second attempt. But, apparently, an unused "K" ball was introduced into the game for the second try.
In our view, the better approach would be to use one "K" ball after another. Then, by the end of the game, each of the "K" balls will have been used at least one, possibly twice.
And how about using less than 12 "K" balls? Do they really need a dozen of them?
We suggest using only three "K" balls, and instructing the officials to make their best efforts to ensure that the "K" ball is retrieved after every kick. Then, once the three "K" balls are gone, a regular ball would be used.
The broader purpose of the "K" ball rule was to prevent kickers and punters from doctoring footballs. There's got to be a way to prevent these balls from being microwaved or filled with flubber gas without incurring a risk that games will be decided by the insertion of a slick ball at the worst possible moment.