| Football is a great game. Watching two teams out | | | | help the situation any.One of the most confusing |
| on the football field, offense and defense, is like | | | | rules is whether or not a receiver had possession |
| watching two generals commanding their armies. | | | | when catching a pass before going out of bounds. |
| So many possibilities; play books three inches | | | | Technically, he's supposed to have both feet in |
| thick; men the size of trucks; and the stadiums | | | | bounds when he makes the catch. If he catches |
| filled with people, some of whom had to wait six | | | | the ball with one foot in and then takes a step |
| years to get tickets. And with all the excitement, | | | | and has the other foot out, it's no catch. But |
| all the suspense at that last second field goal and | | | | what it he's pushed out of bounds? Would he |
| all the great players...There are enough rules in this | | | | have caught the ball with both feet in had he not |
| game to make you want to pull every last hair | | | | been pushed? How is that situation handled?Then |
| out of your head.The typical lay person, the | | | | of course there is the matter of actually scoring a |
| casual football fan and even some of the bigger | | | | touchdown. The football has to cross the plain of |
| fans, probably don't know half the rules of the | | | | the goal line. Now, if the offensive player is on the |
| game. Yeah, they know the main rules, four | | | | ground when he scores, it's pretty easy to tell if |
| downs to make a first down and things like that, | | | | he crossed the goal line. But what if he's on top |
| but the more complicated rules have many fans | | | | of a pile up, four feet off the ground as he's |
| wondering what is going on half the time. Even | | | | trying to dive in? How do you figure out if he's |
| the refs can many times be seen standing around | | | | crossed the plain?Then of course there is forward |
| trying to figure out which rule of the game was | | | | motion when a running back gets tackled. If he |
| broken, if any at all. And what it more than one | | | | gets hit by a 350 pound truck and gets sent |
| rule was broken? How is that situation | | | | hurtling five yards back, where is the ball marked? |
| settled?Even the rules on contact with a receiver | | | | Does it get marked where the tackler hit him or |
| are so fuzzy, or not enforced the same by each | | | | where he lands? What if he trips? Can he get up |
| set of refs. Some games will go by and you'll see | | | | and start running again? If he trips and one foot |
| a receiver get clobbered beyond the five yard | | | | goes out of bounds, can he start running again?So |
| mark and nothing gets called and then in another | | | | many questions and we haven't even scratched |
| game the defender will simply brush up against his | | | | the surface of the surface of all the rules of |
| sleeve and get called for pass interference. A little | | | | football. Yes, this game can really give you a |
| consistency would be nice. Certainly that doesn't | | | | headache. |