On January 6, 2019, the Chicago Bears completed a 30-yard pass in their playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The pass was then fumbled as the Bears receiver went to the ground.
Unfortunately, the referee’s initial ruling of an incomplete pass was deemed non-reversible under the current interpretation of the NFL rules due to the fact that the officials (and not either team) “recovered” the fumble…which was, again, not called a fumble on the field.
And so, the 30-yard “incompletion” was born.
What do the NFL rules say about this mess?
How could they be changed (or interpreted differently) to avoid disregarding what everyone knows to be the correct ruling?
And what does this say about rule drafting, interpretation, and law in general?
Thumbnail image from NBC Broadcast of the game (with arrow from the Twitter account of John Breech).
Discussed in this episode:
“Bears Complete 30-Yard Pass For No Gain As Officials Recover Fumble“
Deadspin, January 6, 2019
“Virtual Legality” is a continuing series discussing the law, rules, video games, software, and everything digital, hosted by Richard Hoeg, of the Hoeg Law Business Law Firm (Hoeg Law).
Rick has practiced for more than a decade at some of the country’s largest law firms, representing IT, software, video game, and other technology companies, as well as the individuals and institutions which fund them.
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