Bipolar BCS Officiating – Was Dyer Down?

The 2011 BCS title game was one of the best in recent memory. Cosby Sweaters enjoyed it in full from our private suite at University of Phoenix Stadium. We loved every part of the game except for one call – a call that still has us scratching our heads.

Late in the game, Auburn’s Michael Dyer looked to be down after falling on top of an Oregon defender, only to get up, wait for a whistle, then continue to run.  Replay clearly showed his hand and wrist touching the ground, but it was ruled a live play.

We checked the rulebook, but it seems as if anything but the hand  touches the ground, its a deadball.

Ball Declared Dead
ARTICLE 3. A live ball becomes dead and an official shall sound his whistle or declare it dead:
a. When it goes out of bounds other than a kick that scores a field goal after touching the uprights or crossbar, when a ball carrier is out of bounds, or when a ball carrier is so held that his forward progress is stopped. When in question, the ball is dead (A.R. 4-2-1-II).
b. When any part of the ball carrier’s body, except his hand or foot, touches the ground or when the ball carrier is tackled or otherwise falls and loses possession of the ball as he contacts the ground with any part of his body, except his hand or foot [Exception: The ball remains alive when an offensive player has simulated a kick or is in position to kick the ball held for a place kick by a teammate. The ball may be kicked, passed or advanced by rule] (A.R. 4-1-3-I).

We then found ourselves feeling a bit of deja vu. Did we not just see this call a week ago in the Sugar Bowl?  We did, and it was ruled a dead ball.  Arkansas’ DJ Williams hand and wrist were clearly down, and the ruling was that it constituted a dead ball, and a TD was called back.

Check the video below and photo above. Seems like the same situation to us, but ruled differently.  Let us know your thoughts. We’re scratching our heads.

video via mocksession

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  • Donyell Marshall

    So the Arkansas run is the one that was wrong…..

  • Elvoid

    Stop scratching your head long enough to really pay attention: Dyer’s palm was down – not his wrist. To prove this to yourself, try putting your hand palm down on a flat surface. Now try to make your wrist touch the ground while your palm touches the ground. Unless you have not bones, you can’t do it. The right call was made for Dyer. The right call was also made in the Arkansas game: Watch the video: his hand is PALM UP, and his wrist contacts the ground before rolling over onto the back of his hand. Try it yourself on a flat surface – easy to do. Both calls were absolutely correct. The problem here was Oregon players forgetting the first thing they probably learned in Pee-Wee Football: PLAY UNTIL THE WHISTLE BLOWS. (Ref’s take enough heat for the things they genuinely do screw up – can we at least lay off of them when they are correct?)

  • Elvoid you’re wrong

    I can easily put my palm flat without touching the ground. The fact of the matter is that he should have been ruled down but wasn’t. However, one play doesn’t lose a game so there is no reason to bitch about it because the Ducks messed up on 2 goal line red zone attempts, settling for a field goal on one and being stopped on 4th down on the other.

  • Brnai

    When any part of the ball carrier’s body, except his hand or foot, touches the ground or when the ball carrier is tackled or otherwise falls …….

    He was clearly tackled by the Oregon defender……wasn’t he?