Yep. Saw it live.

Legitimate trick play, by the rules as written.

Goes against the spirit of the rules, though. Hence the NCAA's move to amend the rules to outlaw this trick play.

The idea of the "fair catch" rule is to prevent the punt returner from getting clobbered unnecessarily when they have no realistic chance to defend themself or make forward progress. Teams have this rule hammered into them, and there are stiff penalties (including ejection) when it's violated.

Yes, Arkansas should have paid a bit closer attention. However, this was a cheap shot that knowingly abused something that's repeatedly ingrained into every football player for legitimate safety reasons.

(Or I guess we could just do away with the fair catch rule altogether and let the receiver get obliterated every time. )

I guess football has changed since I played (45 years ago)... I would have nailed that guy and he probably would have not caught another punt return for a long time.

quote:

Originally posted by Blume9mm:
I guess football has changed since I played (45 years ago)... I would have nailed that guy and he probably would have not caught another punt return for a long time.

I would have hammered him too, but now they probably throw flags for that. I'm waiting for everything short of the NFL to go to flag football.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Or I guess we could just do away with the fair catch rule altogether and let the receiver get obliterated every time. )

I believe there is no fair catch in Canadian football but there is a five yard rule. Forces a return every time. More action.

Watched the clip, as i could give two shits about any form of football. This made me laugh. Lets rule lawyer it till the games are set playes predetermined by attornies 3 years in advance.

I don't get where the "trick" comes in. The punt receiver never raised his hand (from what I could tell).

The kicking team should've been watching him the whole time and shame on the kicking team for not nailing him.

If the NCAA is upset with the manner which he caught the ball, do away with the run back option (it's for the children after all).

I'm with LS1....what was the trick? I thought the receiver would raise his hand and wave to indicate a 'fair catch' and then down himself by taking a knee. This dude just caught it and kinda stood there, then took off.

Why do we need a new rule about something like this? You can fool ‘em once, but....

Let’s fix the Clay Matthews can’t sack a QB rule instead.

He He, no I didn't see it live but that was GREAT!

If he'd been laid out flat and bounced his head off the turf a few times like a bobble-head doll, the coaches probably wouldn't be so proud of their trick play.

quote:

Originally posted by Blume9mm:
I guess football has changed since I played (45 years ago)... I would have nailed that guy and he probably would have not caught another punt return for a long time.

No...football has not changed. The kick team was simply fooled by the actions of the returner. They could have hit him and I am quite sure the Arkansas players have hit a guy or two. The play wan't dirty but like RogueJSK said it does violate the spirit off the rule.

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Huffman:
I would have hammered him too, but now they probably throw flags for that. I'm waiting for everything short of the NFL to go to flag football.

You clearly aren't paying attention, the NFL is every bit as close as the NCAA is to flag football, maybe closer.

You go right ahead and hammer him. They have players from Pop Warner to NFL so worried about player safety and personal fouls that football is a mere shadow of what it once was.

Play to the whistle.

At least one of the Arkansas gunners asked the returner why the ref hadn’t blown the whistle shortly before the returner took off.

The coach said they warned the officials before the game a trick was coming so there wouldn’t be an inadvertent whistle. The officials told the coach he was going to get his guy killed. The coach noticed on film that many teams half assed punt coverage and were halfway off the field in anticipation of a fair catch.