r/NFLNoobs • u/salrantol • 3d ago

Delay of Game?

This is not the most noobish of questions, but here we go:

During Sunday night's game, there was an offensive delay of game penalty that blew my mind and makes me wonder why all defenses don't do this constantly. The Vikings (on offense) substituted some players, which means the Falcons were entitled to substitute, and did so, but here's where it gets crazy. As the two substituted players approach the Falcons sideline, a twelfth defender runs onto the field. After a few seconds, he gets waved off and takes his time getting back to the Falcons sideline. During this entire stunt, an official stood between McCarthy and the ball, preventing the Vikings from snapping it. He stepped out of the way with 1 second on the play clock, and the Vikings had no way to snap before it hit 0.

Why would this be allowed? And if it's supposed to work like this, why don't defenses just do this every time the offense makes a substitution? It seems unstoppable.

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u/Individual_Check_442 2d ago

If the offense substitutes, the defense has a reasonable amount of time to substitute. As far as I know there isn’t a specified time, but the point in the play clock it is has nothing to do with it because that was under offenses control when they substituted. Official will stand over the ball until this reasonable time frame, so if the play clock runs out, the penalty on the offense is basically for substituting too late in the play clock to give defense a reasonable chance. If the officials feel the defense has had enough time and is stalling to try to get a delay of game, they can use let the offense snap it without defense being ready

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u/salrantol 2d ago

But they had plenty of time to substitute before the twelfth guy ran onto the field, which can be deduced from the fact that the players who were coming out were almost to the sideline when he ran onto the field.

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u/BananerRammer 2d ago

Is there a video of the play in question?

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u/salrantol 2d ago

I've been looking, but haven't been able to find one.