From: jb118@prism.gatech.EDU (Jeffrey N. Burch)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.college
Subject: Re: Georgia 14, Auburn 10
Date: 17 Nov 92 23:40:38 GMT
Organization: Georgia Tech Research Institute -- EOL

In article <7083@news.duke.edu> daniel@raphael.acpub.duke.edu (Daniel Crawford) writes:
>...
>Here are a few quotes from today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
>
>"SEC ATTEMPTS TO CLARIFY END OF GEORGIA-AUBURN"
>
>"The SEC statement said, first, that NCAA rules 'do not allow for
>the clock to be stopped on a fumble when it is obvious the ball has
>been recovered by the offensive team.  The official's responsibility
>is to mark the spot of the recovery.

Except in the last play of the game, it was not so obvious to either
the officials, the players, or the fans.

Refs also have the ability to call a time out whenever the time 
they take to perform their duties is excessive.  They do this all
the time during the game, sometimes to the inconvenience of the 
players.

>"'2. Once the teams have cleared, the ball should be spotted by the
>umpire at the progress point marked by the covering official.  The
>referee shall then utilize the following procedure as outlined in the
>Football Officials Manual:

I don't have a copy of the rules handy, but I know that there is also
a rule stating that if in the opinion of the referee, players are
deliberately delaying returning to their side of the ball, or are
faking an injury, official timeouts can be called and penalties can
even be assessed, if appropriate.  Had any of the officials been watching
Georgia coach Ray Goff, they could have seen that he was out on the field,
that he was signaling his players to stay down while the clock was running.  
For that, he *could* have been hit with a penalty by the refs.

>"'"After each down the referee is required to go to the approximate
>position of the ball.  He should then check the down and distance with
>the linesman, announce and indicate the new down, then declare the ball
>ready for play by giving the ready signal [the time elapsed during this
>procedure is approximately four to six seconds]."
>"' The referee is not to vary the timing of this procedure throughout
>the game regardless of the condition.  This could result in the loss
>of a down or an inaccurate placement of the ball.'"

It appeared to me that the refs were simply standing around between
the players as the clock ran out.  No discussion, placement of ball, 
indication of downs and/or possession, or anything else.

>It is apparent, then, that the officials acted exactly as the rules dictate.
>IMHO, AU "screwed" themselves by calling a running play to begin with.  

Not so apparent after all.

This is not to say that Auburn didn't hurt it's own cause, however...

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^  Dr. J(effrey Neil Burch)                 jb118@prism.gatech.edu    ^
^  Georgia Tech Research Institute                                    ^ 
^  Electro-Optics and Physical Sciences Laboratory                    ^
^  Atlanta, Georgia                                                   ^
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Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.college