Worse Call During the Redskins Game: The Delay of Game or The False Start?

nickbradley · 2011-11-08T08:22:40-08:00

The Delay of Game was a MUCH WORSE Call, IMHO. The Refs prevented the 49ers from executing a play by standing between Smith and the Center, then the ref asked for more clock time, didn't get it, Harbaugh called a timeout, and a flag came out. This was one of the worst calls I have ever seen due to sheer incompetence, not because it was a game-changer. The refs simply failed to follow procedure. On the False start, there is a stipulation in the rule book against simulating a play -- and whether the shift was a simulation is up for debate.

Nov 8, 2011 at 8:29 AM

dankmeistr
Veteran
Posts: 286

The delay of game was the worst between the two. However, we got hosed on both of those calls. What's going on with the refs this year? It seems several of the officiating crews are really making bad calls in a lot of games, not just 49ers games. We're 8 games into the season, and the refs should have their crap together by now.

Dan
49ers Fan in NC

Nov 8, 2011 at 8:30 AM

49erLegacy
Member
Posts: 131

How about both? The false start really upset me, the rules stipulate you can shift, but then it says you can not simulate a play....what is that even supossed to mean? and how does the ref determine it was a simulated play?

Nov 8, 2011 at 8:31 AM

dhp318
Veteran
Posts: 4,925

I thought the false start was the right call... Peele really flinche as he shifts back...

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/50716/on-the-49ers-beefs-with-officiating-sunday

Nov 8, 2011 at 8:31 AM

nickbradley
Member
Posts: 3,755

Originally posted by dankmeistr:
The delay of game was the worst between the two. However, we got hosed on both of those calls. What's going on with the refs this year? It seems several of the officiating crews are really making bad calls in a lot of games, not just 49ers games. We're 8 games into the season, and the refs should have their crap together by now.

Dan
49ers Fan in NC

Yes - they're bad across the NFL. From my understanding on the false start, the NFL has essentially decided that the "Harbaugh Shift" is illegal and has instructed refs to call it -- they watch film of it before the game each week. In week 1 they didn't call it.

Nov 8, 2011 at 8:33 AM

nickbradley
Member
Posts: 3,755

Originally posted by dhp318:
I thought the false start was the right call... Peele really flinche as he shifts back...

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/50716/on-the-49ers-beefs-with-officiating-sunday

I'm on the fence -- it's a judgement call and false starts are usually black-and-white. If they can call that penalty, they can call a QB for having too hard of a hard count if they want to.

Nov 8, 2011 at 8:37 AM

dhp318
Veteran
Posts: 4,925

Originally posted by nickbradley:
I'm on the fence -- it's a judgement call and false starts are usually black-and-white. If they can call that penalty, they can call a QB for having too hard of a hard count if they want to.

It's all based on movement. If the QB flinches to move back or something then it'll be a false start, not sure why a hard count is even in this discussion.

Nov 8, 2011 at 8:52 AM

nickbradley
Member
Posts: 3,755

Originally posted by dhp318:
It's all based on movement. If the QB flinches to move back or something then it'll be a false start, not sure why a hard count is even in this discussion.

Because Smith's hard count coincided with the penalty. [hard count] + [shift] = simulation

Nov 8, 2011 at 9:06 AM

Otter
Veteran
Posts: 22,936

Originally posted by dhp318:

Originally posted by nickbradley:
I'm on the fence -- it's a judgement call and false starts are usually black-and-white. If they can call that penalty, they can call a QB for having too hard of a hard count if they want to.

It's all based on movement. If the QB flinches to move back or something then it'll be a false start, not sure why a hard count is even in this discussion.

Because when they hard count, they tend to bark and move their head forward. I've seen the refs call a false start on a QB because the head moved forward too much.

Nov 8, 2011 at 1:25 PM

sfninerfanMax
Veteran
Posts: 1,725

the false start was a bad call. I actually thought the Niners could have been called for a couple more delay of games---the play clock hit 0 and the ball was snapped just afterwards--split second---I was happy those were not called---it could be the TV effect also.

Nov 8, 2011 at 1:29 PM

#10

WildBill
Veteran
Posts: 6,223

Originally posted by dhp318:
I thought the false start was the right call... Peele really flinche as he shifts back...

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/50716/on-the-49ers-beefs-with-officiating-sunday

Thats one of the whole point of shifting or motion, the others are to reveal the D's scheme and create a mismatch. Cause the other side to pull the other offside.

Nov 8, 2011 at 1:33 PM

#11

billbird2111
Veteran
Posts: 18,087

Originally posted by nickbradley:
The Delay of Game was a MUCH WORSE Call, IMHO.

This...

Nov 8, 2011 at 1:35 PM

#12

global_nomad
Veteran
Posts: 14,827

Well the False start hurt us more. Didn't that stall our drive in the red zone. It was third and 1 and we got backed up. Both Peele and Walker moved legally. That one hurt.

Nov 8, 2011 at 7:52 PM

#13

dtg_9er
Veteran
Posts: 33,204

The false start is a judgment call and hard to argue as it's interpretation of intent. The delay involved interference by refs...no question the most egregious error!

Nov 8, 2011 at 8:00 PM

#14

HessianDud
Veteran
Posts: 22,995

Originally posted by dtg_9er:
The false start is a judgment call and hard to argue as it's interpretation of intent. The delay involved interference by refs...no question the most egregious error!

this, exactly.