December 14, 1999

EXPLANATION OF MONDAY NIGHT REPLAY CALL

Referee Gerry Austin and his officiating crew correctly ruled on an instant replay challenge in the second quarter of Monday night’s Denver-Jacksonville game.

With 6:15 left in the first half, Denver quarterback Brian Griese attempted a pass that was ruled incomplete. On the play, Griese was hit by Jacksonville’s Tony Brackens, the ball fell to the ground, and it was recovered by Jacksonville’s Bryce Paup.

Referee Austin’s initial ruling was that Griese’s arm had been going forward when the ball came loose and, thus, it was an incomplete pass when it hit the ground.

Jacksonville called a team time out. The officiating crew then advised Jacksonville that, while the play could be challenged under the replay system, a reversal in that situation could not result in Jacksonville being awarded a fumble recovery because the play ended when the ball hit the ground.

Jacksonville still decided to challenge the call in order to potentially have the spot of the ball changed.

After reviewing the video, Austin reversed the call on field and ruled it a fumble because the ball came loose before Griese’s arm began moving forward. In officiating parlance, he was throwing with "an empty hand," which means it was a fumble.

However, since the initial ruling on the field ended the play when the ball hit the ground, there could not be a legal fumble recovery. The result of the reversal was to rule the play a fumble instead of an incomplete pass. The ball then was correctly re-spotted at the point where it hit the ground. Instead of second-and-10 for Denver from its 28-yard line, the ball was moved back and it became second-and-17 from the Denver 21.

Jacksonville did not lose a time out for the replay challenge, but the Jaguars properly lost the team time out called prior to the challenge.

Austin returned to the sideline replay monitor area briefly a second time and spoke to the upstairs replay assistant to verify the down for the down-marker on the field.

This play situation was previously reviewed with the clubs and the media prior to and during the season. A September 23 memo to the clubs earlier this season on "Quarterback Pass/Fumble" plays stated the following:

"If the referee rules a forward pass, the play is over when the ball hits the ground. Accordingly, this probably is the type of play that should not be challenged. The only difference a challenge would create would be to put the ball in play at the previous spot because of the incomplete pass, or, in the event of a reversal, the ball would be placed at the spot where the ball hit the ground, which in all probability would be a minor differential and remain in possession of the offensive team, unless it had been fourth down."