Green Bay - There was rather large penalty called in this game, and it did have an impact (although it didn't win or lose anybody the game).
With 7:18 left in the game and the score tied at 13, Packers reserve linebacker Robert Francois was called for violating Rule 7, Section 2, Article 2, which states:
During a punt, field-goal attempt, or a Try Kick, a Team B player, who is within one yard of the line of scrimmage at the snap, must have his entire body outside the snappers shoulder pads.
Immediately after the play, there didn't appear to be a flag on the field as the game went to a television timeout. During the delay in action, referee Ed Hochuli convened with some officials and then called the penalty on Francois.
The 5-yard infraction gave the Dolphins a first down, instead of the Packers with possession at the 9-yard line.
The Dolphins converted the penalty into a touchdown to go up 20-13 with 5:20 remaining.
Hochuli was asked about the penalty by a pool reporter after the game, here's what he had to say:
[ul]Q: Can you explain the illegal formation penalty on the Dolphins fourth-quarter punt?
Hochuli: Thats actually a new rule this year that on a punt, on any scrimmage kick, there cannot be a player on the defense within a yard of the line of scrimmage over the center. Hes got to be outside the centers shoulders or else hes got to be back more than a yard off the line, and thats judged by whether, does he have a foot or any part of his body up within, if you look from the sideline, up within the linemen that are down on the ground. And he did. So that was what the penalty was, a five-yard penalty.
Q: Why did it take so long for the penalty to be called?
Hochuli: It is a penalty that takes more than one person to actually see. Youve got one official whos looking and he sees that theres a man directly over the center. After the play, then he has to check with the two guys that are on the line of scrimmage to see if that man was up within a yard of the line. And so it takes that communication between the officials. I had already gone to the commercial for after the punt, which we went out, we punched out. So thats why everything was then done after we came back from commercial.
Q: Did the penalty process start immediately after the punt?
Hochuli: Absolutely. Immediately the first thing we did, I punched out, then we went, we talked, we had the conversation, determined it was a penalty, threw a flag, then I went and explained it to the Green Bay coach.
Q: Did the TV timeout contribute to the delayed call?
Hochuli: Yes, thats why it seemed like it was longer.[/ul]
Here are Mike McCarthy's comments about the penalty:
[ul]The penalty over the snapper, the communication was Robert Francois was lined up with his head up on the snapper. Robert was lined up a yard and a half from the snapper. The intent of the rule is to protect the snapper and why and how that was called at that critical point in the game, it obviously was a big play in the game for Miami. But the picture everybody saw on the scoreboard, the communication on the sideline, the officiating crew took plenty of time to discuss it between the series change on whether to throw the late flag. We tried to communicate to them that he was a yard off the ball, a yard and a half off the ball. But they felt they couldnt, the communication that was given, they could not change that back. So, they felt that he was head up on the snapper, thats the communication I was given.[/ul]
Our view:
While Francois was not a yard-and-a-half off the ball as McCarthy claims (maybe that far from the center's head) Francois was around a yard and maybe a few inches more from the ball. The penalty shouldn't have been called.