Holy Roller Rule - interpretation
Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2018 8:12 am
Watched the end of the Falcons-Bucs game. The Bucs trailed 34-29 and were 20 yards away from the endzone with 7 seconds left. Instead of having Winston throw twice for the endzone, they had Winston run up the middle. He got inside the 10 before Atlanta converged on him, where he lateraled to Adam Humphries...who kind of bobbled the ball toward Mike Evans, who picked up the ball and threw it backwards towards Desean Jackson. The ball bounced to Jackson, who couldn't control the ball and it ends up going out of bounds. This final play was shown on replay, with the announcers concluding "if Jackson could have controlled the ball, he could have walked into the end zone for the winning TD".
Beg pardon, but when does the Holy Roller rule kick in on these "laterals"? Aren't they all technically fumbles? Once Humphries can't control Winston's lateral, isn't Winston technically the only player on the offensive team who can advance the ball into the endzone? Ignoring all that, at what point does Evans' backward pass to Jackson change from "lateral" to "fumble"...when it hits the ground before Jackson can possess the football?
Beg pardon, but when does the Holy Roller rule kick in on these "laterals"? Aren't they all technically fumbles? Once Humphries can't control Winston's lateral, isn't Winston technically the only player on the offensive team who can advance the ball into the endzone? Ignoring all that, at what point does Evans' backward pass to Jackson change from "lateral" to "fumble"...when it hits the ground before Jackson can possess the football?