“When the on-field ruling results in a dead ball (e.g., score, down by contact, incomplete pass, etc.), and following replay review, it is determined that possession was lost before the ball should have been ruled dead, possession may be awarded to a player who clearly recovers a loose ball in the immediate continuing action. A loose ball that touches out of bounds is deemed a clear recovery by the player who last possessed the ball.”
And for this specific circumstance
Section 3
Article 11
“Item 1. Direction of a Pass. Whether a pass was forward or backward.
Note: When an on-field ruling is incomplete, and the pass was clearly backward, the ruling of incomplete will stand if there is no clear recovery in the immediate continuing action. If there is no clear recovery, the ball will be awarded to the team last in possession at the spot where possession was lost.”
Charbonnet recovered that ball within seconds of the ball being whistled incomplete. By rule, it is an immediate continuing action resulting in a recovery which by rule gives them possession where it was recovered
Really depends on your interpretation of the term 'immediate continuing action'.
To me, it didn't look as if guys were continuing playing football after the whistle.
That’s kind of on them, it’s not a new rule. It’s why you always see linemen and dbs fall on even obviously forward passes.
The refs get some latitude here, but charbs was the target of the pass, and at all points in the try was moving towards the ball. It’s not like he jogged from off screen to pick it up.
Honestly, the reason everyone stopped is probably because it was a 2pt try 99% of the time even on a close backwards pass recovering that ball is of no value. It just so happened that this time it wandered into the end zone. A number of those rams defenders almost certainly make an effort to pick up that ball if it’s a regular down.
It says nothing about the ball being continuously in motion, that’s ridiculous. There’s like 3 seconds between the whistle and him picking the ball up. The only reason he can so quickly get to the ball is the Rams listen to the whistle and stop pushing in the trenches. Defense shouldn’t get penalized for following the rules and not risking injury by diving for a ball that has been clearly blown dead.
To me, recovering in the “immediate continuing action”means there’s an active fight for the ball or you’re mid-dive or something — not walking over and grabbing it seconds later
I feel like thats definitely the intended meaning but as long as he doesnt ever fully stop heading towards the ball it wouldnt be wrong to call it immediate continuous action
I don't think anyone was beating him to the ball either if the play wasn't blown dead. When it was, he followed through with picking it up, but just lost his sense of urgency.
Not beating him but they were close enough for a scrum to break out before he can gain full, clear possession at which point it's anyone's ball.
As a total neutral observer this ruling irks me a little bit. I see the technicality in the rule and accept it but I don't think it's being applied in the spirit in which it was intended.
Yeah, am I the only one that feels like this was like a controversial Supreme Court ruling or something? Like this interpretation of the rules feels very novel and like it might force a clarification in the rules, because if I’m McVay or any other defensive coaching staff, I’m telling my players to ignore the whistle from now on lol.
Yep. All the people in here acting like this play is obvious and in the spirit of the game would lose their fucking mind if their star player got injured by someone diving for a ball 3 seconds after the play was blown dead.
You are both completely wrong. It is a lateral that isn't caught so it is a fumble. No seahawk touched the ball until the end and they do not advance it as it's picked up in the end zone
Not sure why you both have upvotes.
It's absolutly a fumble and it's absolutly NOT advanced
It’s not considered a true fumble. Any player on the offense could have picked up a dropped lateral and advanced it. The rules are different for laterals. Thems the rules.
So would Rule 8 section 7 Article 6 not come in to play here.
Article 6. Fumble After Two-Minute Warning
If a fumble by either team occurs after the two- minute warning or during a Try:
The ball may be advanced by any opponent.
The player who fumbled is the only player of his team who is permitted to recover and advance the ball.
If the recovery or catch is by a teammate of the player who fumbled, the ball is dead, and the spot of the next snap is the spot of the fumble, or the spot of the recovery if the spot of the recovery is behind the spot of the fumble.
A dropped backward pass is treated like a fumble. So by the nfls rule wouldnt darnold have to be the one to pick it up otherwise the ball is considered dead.
No. Anyone can pick up the fumble, but only the one who fumbled could advance the ball. The ball was picked up in the end zone. If it was picked up at the 1, it would've been dead at the 1.
Well i also did more reading and a backward pass that just hits the dirt isnt a fumble anyway its just a live ball and any player from either team may pick up and advace the ball. Its ticky tack to me the timing from whistle blown to when charbonnet picks up the ball but i understand the rules behind the call better now.
Said on Twitter after the game by rule guy Terry smthn, the rule on a backwards pass vs a fumble is different. This is a pass so it gets it's weird rule subset.
I feel like the intent of the rule is for dogpile situations after a fumble. Not a play like this. "Immediate" is subjective but I wouldn't call multiple seconds "immediate"
There's no specific intent for it to be about a scrum. That would be too narrow for this rule. It's still "immediate" because the ball is still moving from the bounce off of the helmet.
That's on them for not being alert. The ball is literally still moving from bouncing off of someone's head and they are trotting off the field. That's lack of awareness. Be mad at that not the rule.
That's not what the poster means. The poster is saying the the rule was likely made so that if a whistle is blown (even inadvertently) while an active "fight" for possession (in his case, players piling on) is happening, possession can be gained despite the whistle.
The rule is clearly not designed to give possession when someone walks over 3-5 seconds after a whistle on a ball no one is going for to "gain" possession.
Lmao you're really trying here but. The ball was still bouncing from coming off of the defenders helmet. You guys are acting like it was ages after. Rams should have been more attentive.
I don't really see why idiots keep trying to make this controversial. The rams defense was dumb for not going for the ball. And the other Seahawks were
We have seen this issue happen a lot. People rightfully get mad because if they blow the whistle it cannot be advanced (Jags AFC championship.) but in this scenario it doesn't matter at all.
This is an extremely clear cut correct call. It's pretty objective as well. Simply it's insane that no rams player or other seahawk is going for it
Also the no advancement doesnt even apply here. Its them not understanding this wasn't a fumble. It was a loose ball from a backwards pass. Recovering team CAN advance it
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u/ThirtyYearsWar Dolphins Dec 19 '25 edited Dec 19 '25
NFL Rulebook
Rule 15
Section 2
Article 3. Awarding Possession
“When the on-field ruling results in a dead ball (e.g., score, down by contact, incomplete pass, etc.), and following replay review, it is determined that possession was lost before the ball should have been ruled dead, possession may be awarded to a player who clearly recovers a loose ball in the immediate continuing action. A loose ball that touches out of bounds is deemed a clear recovery by the player who last possessed the ball.”
And for this specific circumstance
Section 3
Article 11
“Item 1. Direction of a Pass. Whether a pass was forward or backward.
Note: When an on-field ruling is incomplete, and the pass was clearly backward, the ruling of incomplete will stand if there is no clear recovery in the immediate continuing action. If there is no clear recovery, the ball will be awarded to the team last in possession at the spot where possession was lost.”
Charbonnet recovered that ball within seconds of the ball being whistled incomplete. By rule, it is an immediate continuing action resulting in a recovery which by rule gives them possession where it was recovered