Question about Campbell's grounding penalty

[tunahelper]

10) 17-J.Campbell pass incomplete (94-D.Ware). PENALTY on WAS-17-J.Campbell, Intentional Grounding, 10 yards, enforced at DAL 11.

Fox showed it as sack, but NFL.com has Ware credited with one sack. I thought if the QB was being tackled as he was throwing it away and grounding is called a sack is credited.

I think if this sack counts it would place Ware in the NFL lead for sacks.

 

[dbair1967]

its not a sack

David

 

[MCowboys]

This situation already happened, Ware never got credit for that sack either.

 

[peplaw06]

Not a sack. The skins lost 10 yards and the down, that is all.

It's impossible to get that penalty if you get the sack.

 

[Chuck 54]

We got a lucky call on that one, and I was happy with it, but it was a bad call.

Campbell was going down, and that little arm flip made it look like a ridiculous grounding, but the RB was actually cutting across right in front of him and he got a view of his target as he was going down. Had the defender in front of him not gotten his arm on the ball only a yard out of his hand, it would have looked very differently...it may have even had a chance.

I think his arm angle and the immediate bat down made the ref. throw his flag. My friend and I jumped up immediately and called for grounding, but anyone who watched the replay, or anyone who has it taped and watches the station slow-mo replay, will clearly see the receiver crossing right in front of the QB's face.

It was a bad call that went our way......

 

[Kevinicus]

what bat down are you talking about?

 

[dbair1967]

We got a lucky call on that one, and I was happy with it, but it was a bad call.

Campbell was going down, and that little arm flip made it look like a ridiculous grounding, but the RB was actually cutting across right in front of him and he got a view of his target as he was going down. Had the defender in front of him not gotten his arm on the ball only a yard out of his hand, it would have looked very differently...it may have even had a chance.

I think his arm angle and the immediate bat down made the ref. throw his flag. My friend and I jumped up immediately and called for grounding, but anyone who watched the replay, or anyone who has it taped and watches the station slow-mo replay, will clearly see the receiver crossing right in front of the QB's face.

It was a bad call that went our way......

this is ridiculous too...he obviously threw the ball away to avoid the sack, which is what the penalty is...its a judgement call on the officials, IS the guy trying to avoid a sack by throwing the ball away? and the answer is yes

there might have been a receiver somewhere over there, but Campbell wasnt trying to complete the pass

David

 

[Rick_Deckard]

I believe that you also have to get the ball past the line of scrimmage to avoid the grounding call. Campbell's pass did not cross the line.

 

[BAT]

If Ware just wraps Campbell up higher (above the waist instead of below) it is a sack.

Or he could have flung him to the ground with bone breaking force.

Ware is just too nice.

 

[smarta5150]

This is the 2nd grounding Ware has forced I believe.

 

[LowTech]

The player close to campbell was an offensive lineman about 10 yards away

 

[AdamJT13]

We got a lucky call on that one, and I was happy with it, but it was a bad call.

Campbell was going down, and that little arm flip made it look like a ridiculous grounding, but the RB was actually cutting across right in front of him and he got a view of his target as he was going down. Had the defender in front of him not gotten his arm on the ball only a yard out of his hand, it would have looked very differently...it may have even had a chance.

I think his arm angle and the immediate bat down made the ref. throw his flag. My friend and I jumped up immediately and called for grounding, but anyone who watched the replay, or anyone who has it taped and watches the station slow-mo replay, will clearly see the receiver crossing right in front of the QB's face.

It was a bad call that went our way......

It was a good call. When the quarterback is in the pocket and in imminent danger of being sacked, it is intentional grounding if he throws a pass that is not in the direction of an eligible recever AND in the vicinity of an eligible receiver. Campbell wasn't trying to throw to a back crossing in front of him, he was looking at and throwing to Ladell Betts, who was way out on the sideline. And the ball wasn't batted at all. Campbell threw a pass in the direction of Betts, but it was nowhere close to being in the vicinity of Betts. Had he thrown the ball in the vicinity of Betts, Spencer might have had an easy interception, because he was in front of Betts. So Campbell just threw the ball into the ground in that direction. Therefore, it's intentional grounding.

 

[dannyz]

You guys are forgetting that the ball HAS to cross the original line of scrimmage. This one did not -- good call

 

[AdamJT13]

You guys are forgetting that the ball HAS to cross the original line of scrimmage. This one did not -- good call

It doesn't have to cross the line of scrimmage in that situation. The "cross the line of scrimmage" (or, more accurately, "near the line of scrimmage") applies only to a quarterback outside the pocket. He is allowed to throw the ball away as long as the ball goes near or past the line of scrimmage.

The rule is different for a quarterback in the pocket. He has to throw the ball to a receiver. If the receiver is behind the line of scrimmage, it wouldn't matter whether the ball goes near or past the line of scrimmage.

 

[Chuck 54]

this is ridiculous too...he obviously threw the ball away to avoid the sack, which is what the penalty is...its a judgement call on the officials, IS the guy trying to avoid a sack by throwing the ball away? and the answer is yes

there might have been a receiver somewhere over there, but Campbell wasnt trying to complete the pass

David

I think you're wrong and should look at it again. It appeared he was just throwing it away, but when they showed the replay the running back was crossing his face just a few yards away, but the ball hit the defenders arm right in front of him and nose dived.

 

[Chuck 54]

what bat down are you talking about?

The ball came out of his hand and went off the defenders arm just a yard in front of him and took a nose dive. One guy had him by the arms and another guy was covering him up from the front and the ball hit him...the RB was only a few yards away crossing in front of the QB, but because he looked so awkward with his arm angle and when he threw the ball, and the way the ball nose dived just a yard or two in front of the QB, it looked like a clear grounding....watch it again.

 

[Chuck 54]

I believe that you also have to get the ball past the line of scrimmage to avoid the grounding call. Campbell's pass did not cross the line.

not when the ball is hit, and it looked to clearly be hit by the defender who was mopping up in front of Campbell....also, for the record, it doesn't have to get to the line of scrimmage when being thrown to a rb behind the line.

 

[Chuck 54]

It was a good call. When the quarterback is in the pocket and in imminent danger of being sacked, it is intentional grounding if he throws a pass that is not in the direction of an eligible recever AND in the vicinity of an eligible receiver. Campbell wasn't trying to throw to a back crossing in front of him, he was looking at and throwing to Ladell Betts, who was way out on the sideline. And the ball wasn't batted at all. Campbell threw a pass in the direction of Betts, but it was nowhere close to being in the vicinity of Betts. Had he thrown the ball in the vicinity of Betts, Spencer might have had an easy interception, because he was in front of Betts. So Campbell just threw the ball into the ground in that direction. Therefore, it's intentional grounding.

I hope you taped it and watched it again because I swear I saw the RB crossing not far in front of him, and I'd also swear I saw the defender mopping up and landing just in front of Campbell defect the ball with his arm or body shortly out of Campbell's hand.

Not saying I'm definitely right because I could be wrong, but I was on the grounding call until I thought I saw what I saw on the replay...I'd like to hear from someone who taped the game and watched the replay from behind the QB.