PFT: Gregory was not lined up in the neutral zone

[OmerV]

Where is the Center’s helmet? Or is it okay for the Center to be in the neutral zone?

The center is allowed in the neutral zone. He has to be - he is automatically in the neutral zone simply by having his hand on the ball.

 

[KingintheNorth]

Say what? The flag wasn’t thrown until the ball was rolling on the turf. Watch it again.

offsides is (should be) called at the snap. If they threw a flag late, I understand all of the conspiracy talk
.

 

[Don Corleone]

offsides is (should be) called at the snap. If they threw a flag late, I understand all of the conspiracy talk
.

The flag was way late. After it was the clear the Saints were going nowhere on that down due to the fumble.

 

[Cowboys22]

Have you ever heard of a center being called for being in the neutral zone?

No, but his helmet is much further over the ball so I ask what is the rule? Are centers allowed to have their helmets in the neutral zone but no one else is?

 

[silvrNblue]

Look, after what FIVE penalties to keep them driving and finally score on us, also with a NON called OPI, I wouldn't call it "even" or fair. There were some blatant miscalls, and some non calls, and IMHO, most went their way, not ours. But, to add, we played a really sloppy 2nd half, I don't know what was discussed at half time, but both sides made way to many bone headed mistakes that seem to all come in the 3rd and 4th qtrs...we won, but I still think it wasn't near as close as the score showed it to be,

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

LOL, you are proving the point but its my point that don't actual read anything. My post was about the blue line, its a total strawman to claim I was in the middle of the ball/line/helmet argument in this thread. Go back and read the thread.

You commented in post #193 in support of that poster's lame argument about the blue line. That's tantamount to supporting it. Gimmie a break. Don't be an intellectual coward. Own it if you believe it. Don't play the cheap "wuh, well, I never aaaaactually said that" routine.

 

[ksadler1]

If that's true then they should have called it. Are there pictures or video that shows this happened? My point is that the officials miss calls everywhere and in every game. They have to. There's not 11 of them to watch all 11 matchups on the field.

I totally agree with you. But the very next time the Saints D took the field after the Gregory call, they did the exact thing and it wasn't called. If you've got a guy watching the line, how do you miss that? There's no movement...

 

[OmerV]

No, but his helmet is much further over the ball so I ask what is the rule? Are centers allowed to have their helmets in the neutral zone but no one else is?

Yes. They have to be able to stand over the ball to snap it.

 

[Echo9]

Where the ball is before it is snapped is where the neutral zone is. That is one reason a neutral zone infraction should be an easy call. The official is looking down the line where the ball is and should be able to tell if any part of a defender is across it.

That's why I don't completely dismiss that this was an accurate (albeit ticky-tack) call. If the angle we're seeing is skewed any, it can make the player not appear to be across the ball. However, the 50-yard line does give us an accurate measure to use because you can tell that the ball isn't at the 50 and Gregory's hand is. The only questionable part for me is his helmet. Is there an angle that shows it across the ball?

My biggest question why the ref didn't throw the flag at the snap, but rather waited until the play developed, we recovered the fumble and THEN he threw the flag. The timing of this has been confirmed by people at the game since it's hard to see on TV.

 

[Runwildboys]

No, but his helmet is much further over the ball so I ask what is the rule? Are centers allowed to have their helmets in the neutral zone but no one else is?

They don't have much choice but to keep their head over the ball, so I'm sure they're exempt.

 

[cwbyfn88]

What gets me is it erased one hell of defensive play......

Randy Gregory wasn’t lined up in the neutral zone
Posted by Mike Florio on November 30, 2018, 12:27 PM EST

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/11/30/randy-gregory-wasnt-lined-up-in-the-neutral-zone/

One of the more bizarre officiating errors in a night marked with several of them came when the folks in black and white wiped out a Drew Brees fumble, recovered by the Cowboys.

Referee Walt Anderson announced that Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory had lined up in the neutral zone. But one small problem existed with this conclusion: Gregory wasn’t lined up in the neutral zone

Was listening to the will Cain show and they were discussing this. They believe it was a terrible call

 

[Bleedblue1111]

I get your side being intentionally obtuse because to see is to walk back your claims which won't happen I know but still. Look where the ball is in relation to the blue line and look where Gregory's head is in relation to the blue line. Here's my Page 11 posting of this same pic, lol.

What's weird is Gregory is looking at the ball and he doesn't think he's offsides?

 

[star-ving]

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

Gregory's helmet doesn't appear to be past the tip of the football fwiw

 

[MarcusRock]

Was listening to the will Cain show and they were discussing this. They believe it was a terrible call

They were co-whining for ratings.

 

[MarcusRock]

Gregory's helmet doesn't appear to be past the tip of the football fwiw

Keep reading the thread.

 

[Kaiser]

You commented in post #193 in support of that poster's lame argument about the blue line. That's tantamount to supporting it. Gimmie a break. Don't be an intellectual coward. Own it if you believe it. Don't play the cheap "wuh, well, I never aaaaactually said that" routine.

Wooooh, tantamount! Cal Poly does offer english classes!!!

For the 4th or 5th time today, you should read the posts before you post this BS. In post 91 of this thread, back on page 5, I posted this:

I haven't watched the replay so I can't really comment yet, but you also can't tell if that picture is exactly aligned with the LOS or if its slightly off center. You can move the point of few just a few degrees and change the appearance of the call.

See, my schtick is I watch the replay before I do deep dives on issues like this. Your schtick is you take every comment on the other side of an issue and post silly attacks against individuals for posts by someone else in that roup. That isn't intellectual cowardice, but its sure intellectual dishonesty.

 

[RoyTheHammer]

Here we go again "past the football," smh.

Learn what the neutral zone is, humble yourself, and get back to me.

Here we go again, indeed.

Former officials, nfl coaches, players etc..have said it was a bs call.

I'll take their word over yours, thanks. Lol

 

[MarcusRock]

Here we go again, indeed.

Former officials, nfl coaches, players etc..have said it was a bs call.

I'll take their word over yours, thanks. Lol

I keep hearing this but do they have evidence like what's been posted here? Heck, the photo I'm using is directly from the PFT article claiming that it's not lining up in the neutral zone when the picture actually shows that he did. Does the media saying something is true make it true for you? They count on this. And they're overwhelmingly successful doing so.

 

[droopdog7]

I understand your point to a degree but what you are talking about is contact fouls. It would be completely impractical to call everything that could technically be called a foul in basketball, or in football to call every contact in coverage or every borderline incident with the O-Line while blocking. But this wasn't a contact foul. It was more of a procedural thing. A basketball ref wouldn't excuse a player only slightly stepping on the baseline, or an accidental back court violation.

In any case, if Gregory was guilty, we really don't have a complaint because even if we think it shouldn't have been called, it still took Gregory putting himself in a position he shouldn't have to create the chance of it being called. The players know the rules, so they are responsible for playing within them.

Reasonable response. Of course, a referee wouldn't excuse a player stepping on the line in football either. But there is a little more gray area when, in fact, there is no actual line (as is the case here). And I think that is why my argument could still apply.

Incidentally, I went back and watched some highlights of the game on youtube. Out of about 20 plays, I saw three where a defender was technically over the blue line with either a hand or the helmet.

 

[RoyTheHammer]

I keep hearing this but do they have evidence like what's been posted here? Heck, the photo I'm using is directly from the PFT article claiming that it's not lining up in the neutral zone when the picture actually shows that he did. Does the media saying something is true make it true for you? They count on this. And they're overwhelmingly successful doing so.

Do you understand the difference between a sports commentator and someone who's played, coached or reffed the game for a living?

You could call neutral zone infraction every play if this is a foul. The issue is the timing of when they called it..and how it's not called many other times when players are lined up in the same area.

Enough already. Go fly some kites, boys.