Buy/Sell: The NCAA or NFL should do something about players faking injuries.

[Hanmudog]

It seems like it is getting more and more common to seedefensive playersmysteriously hit the turf when the other team is in the hurry up offense. The two guys for the Giants on MNF was some of the most bogus acting I have seen.

I don't think the officials should have to make the call but I think there should besome kind of post game penaltyif a player caught obviously faking it.

 

[Boomerdog15]

If a guy goes down like he's cramping, gets stretched out, walks to the sideline and comes back in a few plays later who's to say he wasn't cramping?

The offense can't complain about the defense trying to gain an edge when you can't touch a receiver without a flag thrown for interference and the pathetic roughing the passer calls that you see every game. Every time a QB gets knocked to the ground they turn to the ref and argue to try and get a call. Those penalties seem to impact a game more than a guy faking an injury to slow down an offense.

 

[Hanmudog]

I am moreso speaking about the obvious fakes. On MNF, two Giant players simultaneously hit the ground just as the St. Louis offense was getting up to the line of scrimmage. I don't have as much problem with a guy staying on the ground after a play. </p>

 

[Irondawg]

Maybe a rule that if you have to leave the field due to injury - you can't return for some specified period of time (a quarter or something). Exceptions would be made if you were tackling or tackled on the play.

Agree something needs to be done about things like the Giants were doing

 

[maroondawg]

Besides couldn't the argument you are trying to make be said about Fletcher Cox?

LSU was coming up to the line and then all of a sudden it looked like a sniper took him out. He went down with cramps, it happens. I just don't see a way to enforce this because you are making it a judgement call on whether someone is injured or not.

 

[boomboommsu]

The first time a player 'gets hurt' like that, ie not counting players who are hurt during or immediately after a play (i guess you could define it as once the play clock starts), then the team gets a warning. After that, let the D either take a penalty or a timeout.

 

[maroondawg]

The problem they will face is the fact that there is no way to measure pain. Everyone handles it differently. Sure you can ask someone "on a scale of 1 to 10..." but it will never go as far as a doctor or official looking at a player and stating that the player is not in pain and therefore asses a penalty.

 

[patdog]

Maybe something like if the clock has to be stopped to get you off the field, you can't come back in for the rest of that possession. Maroondawg is right that neither the NFL or NCAA is ever going to get into making judgment calls on injuries.</p>

 

[SanfordRJones]

Couldn't they just make a rule that only the injured player can be replaced, and it has to be someone playing the same position (i.e. no subbing a DL for a DB)? I thought that was already a rule. That would at least resolve the issue of changing defensive schemes when the offense is in hurry up without having to make judgment calls on how injured a player is or if he is faking.

 

[boatsnhoes]

I have seen in a while...including cox. Most of them are encouraged to do it by coaches if the other team is ona roll controlling tempo. Georgia did it against boise state. cowardly chicken ****.

 

[boomboommsu]

when our DB fell down while in coverage against TN in the SEC CG, should they have stopped the play? no, **** just happens.

all i'm saying is, once the ball has been set, the official has stepped away from the ball and the play clock has started, then treat it as if the play has started even though the ball has not been snapped yet. you can still take a timeout, but otherwise, just as if you are hurt in the middle of a play, if you get hurt from that point until the end of the play you are SOL. and i think teams would rather have a choice of a 5 yd penalty or TO than have to play without a man for a play and risk giving up a TD.

 

[maroondawg]

what if you send a man in motion and he catches a cramp? should you just audible to something else and let him lay there? of course not.

also, what happens when someone takes a huge hit to the head, he shakes it off and it appears as if everything is fine. the ref sets the ball ready for play, the defense starts moving into position and all of a sudden that player collapses. in this instance the player need medical attention as soon as possible and you cannot wait for the play clock to tick down and then the offense run a play before he gets treatment.

this is the point i am trying to make... under no circumstances will they make a judgement call on whether a player is truly hurt or not. much less start penalizing teams for it.

 

[Hanmudog]

Maybe something like if the clock has to be stopped to get you off the field, you can't come back in for the rest of that possession. Maroondawg is right that neither the NFL or NCAA is ever going to get into making judgment calls on injuries.</p>

To me if a guy is hurt bad enough to justify being down on the field and needing a trainer to come out then he probably should not be playing the next few plays anyway. I think that is a much better idea than leaving it up to the officials.

It just ruins the integrity of the game when fans are left wondering if a player is really hurt or not. I about **** when Cox went down the other night..........wait a minute.....that did not sound right.

 

[boomboommsu]

"what if you send a man in motion and he catches a cramp? should you just audible to something else and let him lay there?"

that, or take a time out. you seem to think time outs are there for strategic clock management only. no, they are there for exactly the scenario you described.

"also, what happens when someone takes a huge hit to the head, he shakes it off and it appears as if everything is fine. the ref sets the ball ready for play, the defense starts moving into position and all of a sudden that player collapses. in this instance the player need medical attention as soon as possible and you cannot wait for the play clock to tick down and then the offense run a play before he gets treatment."

if he collapses when the ball is snapped then they don't stop play, right? anyway, the coach can take a time out, or if he's out of them ask the ref to stop play (with a penalty).

"this is the point i am trying to make... under no circumstances will they make a judgement call on whether a player is truly hurt or not. much less start penalizing teams for it. "

i'm not asking them to. but they already make judgement calls way harder than that. and they'll gladly penalize a team for chickenshit crap any time at all (cowbells, sideline infraction, celebrating, etc.).

Look, the game evolves, and the rules evolve with it to keep the game interesting and fair. if defenses start taking advantage of the 'hurt player' rule, then the rules will have to evolve to stop it. there's no need to coddle the players like you are suggesting. players get hurt, giving an advantage to the opponent. it happens! there's no need to try to eliminate that advantage. what's next, putting weights on receivers that are too fast?

here's another suggestion: play is stopped (before the play) whenever a player appears hurt with no penalty (like you are suggesting), but if he comes back in the game there is a 5 yd penalty at that time. coaches could be strategic and wait for an extra point or short punt, but they would be without that player until then.

 

[kired]

Maybe something like if the clock has to be stopped to get you off the field, you can't come back in for the rest of that possession.</p>

Although, I wouldsay they could come back aftereither A) change of possessionor B) their team calls a timeout.

 

[kimmer]

I don't think the officials should have to make the call but I think there should besome kind of post game penaltyif a player caught obviously faking it.

How can anyone prove a player is faking? Suspect, easy. Prove, very difficult even if you gave a player a complete physical exam after the game.