Hughes Fumble recovery

I was watching the highlights of the T.O. Rider tilt and saw Charleston Hughes after a bad snap to Bethal-T, tip the ball forward recover it and dance into the end zone. Looked good to me but it was just the CFL highlight package. Not always a critical evaluation of reality. Something about an offside pass. I feel there are far too many decisions coming from a room high in an office tower in downtown Toronto that dictate the outcome of games. They don't call it the 'Command Centre' for nothing. And suspiciously on the heels of the CFL contract with the gambling corporation.

I think its cause he batted the ball forward. Technically the right call by the rule, though took away an exciting play which looks good on the highlights if it stands

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The rule was changed because of a play that happened in the NFL years ago when Kenny ā€˜the snakeā€™ Stabler with the Oakland Raiders literally threw the ball under handed into the end zone as he was being tackled. The ball was recovered by his own player and the San Diego Chargers limped off the field losers from bad reffing. At the time that shouldā€™ve been ruled an incomplete pass. Actually an illegal forward pass because he was over the line of scrimmage. The problem is the individuals at the command centre can interpret rules in any manner they wish. Tipping the ball forward is not the same as a pass. We see multiple players tip the ball when trying to recover, never to be called an incomplete pass.

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Ya a tough one. I can see not wanting to make it so that you can toss the ball down the field. Would defeat the purpose of the game

Ahh , but you can kick the ball forward and that would have been ok. So donā€™t use your hands, Sounds iffy to me, They make it a judgement call so they can control the outcome.

Because using your hand makes it possession, batting it forward is a pass and when the ball hits the ground after that it is dead.

In the NFL it's a muff and if it is done purposely its a penalty and there is no change in possession as it is also a penalty.

North American football's roots come from the sport of rugby and in rugby, a player cannot fumble the ball forward to a teammate or to himself. It's called a 'knock-on' and it results in a loss of possession. There are now lots of rugby rules that have been thrown out in both American and Canadian football (and many that were changed more than a 100 years ago), but this isn't one of them.
Had Hughes scooped the ball up in one move and not dribbled it forward for a few rolls before he got the bounce that put it solidly in both his hands, it would have been an undisputed touchdown. I was surprised that the referees initially called this play a clear recovery and touchdown before they 'thought' it through.

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Again rewarding an accidental play when guys stumble around fumbling the ball and even to another player on their own team. But penalizing a great football play like Hughes did. Tapping the ball is not possession. Grasping the ball is possession. If you tap the ball but don't grab it and someone else grabs it who has possession?

interesting in that the ā€œknock-onā€ is an allowed and common part of AFL (aussie)

but the forward pass is not.

Yes, I believe had he kicked it forward it would have been fine.
Although calling it a scoop or a forward pass seems exaggerated.

He leaned down, and pushed or slapped the ball away as BT was about to grab it , then grabbed it and went into the endzone.

If it was against the rules, ok then.
But it negated an exciting play and showed his skills. How many times do we see a fumble and players can't even handle the ball when they jump on it. Hughes leans down knocks it forward, it bounces and he is able to grab it and run.

The stadium was absolutely rocking after that play. The Riders settling for a field goal after that fumble may have been the game changer.
Well that and the fact the Riders could barely move the ball on offence and by the end of the game the defence looked exhausted.

Thatā€™s a crock of crap. It was a legit good play that should have been a touchdown, my how hard they are looking to help the argoes. Sad sad sad , that command centre needs to go. When they start affecting the outcome of games. They are going to far. No different than the. Nhl, thatā€™s why youā€™ll never see cAcadian team win another Stanley cup. Same bullshit

Yeah that would be like an onside kick tho imagine it would have to go 10 yards first

How can they even call it a forward pass, he never had control of it, he didnā€™t throw it down the field, it was a spur of the moment play on a fumble, should have been a touchdown. Thatā€™s why they make up these flakey judgement rules, so they can call it to their liking. If they don;t like you well, tough on you I guess.

It wasn't possesion but that doesn't matter. Clear purposeful directing of the ball towards the opponent's goal is an offside pass regardless if its grasped or batted.

If he was aware of the rules he'd have kicked the loose ball (dribbled ball) forward and it would have been live and legal for him to scoop up and score.

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Itā€™s the same in every football league. NFL it would have been a 20 yard penalty and Toronto would have retained possessionā€¦

No judgement required. It's a straight forward rule.

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what is so hard to understand?

You cant purposely bat a ball forward, no matter how they explain it.

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Maybe we can make them a rule book with pictures, that might helpā€¦

What happened to your EE avitar?

Having some fun with Bombers fans (Maaax) for the bye week this weekā€¦

Might have just been the beaver but he needed Elk hornsā€¦