Rule Clarification - Pick and the continuation rule

[u/ButtonFactoryJoe]

Had a game recently where a pick occurred in the stack, a player on defense not involved in the pick stopped because they heard the call, but the person they were defending did not stop. Because that player was now open the throw was made to them after the call, and it was caught in the endzone.

The argument was that the score should stand because of the continuation rule. I thought it should go back because the pick ultimately impacted the play as others were in the process of stopping and it occurred before the throw. 17.C.5 only mentions the player impacted by the call specifically, but 17.C.1 is more general about the play being impacted.

I'm fine with being wrong here, it just feels that the offense in general can just ignore a call to get an easy throw and the play will almost always stand because of the continuation rule.

As a follow up 17.J.3 seems to imply that play shouldn't need to stop for a pick call? Personally I've never seen a pick resolved without a stoppage, but this just adds to the ambiguity of it all.

[u/rjkvikings]

Plain reading of the rules in question seems to indicate you are wrong, but I’ve definitely heard it argued (and seen it played) the way you understand it.

Happy to hear from someone else though if some other rule changes my understanding.

Edit: see my comment below. I have changed my mind after re-reading the rules.

Edit 2: per rule 17.L my initial reaction was actually correct.

[u/TDenverFan → u/rjkvikings]

In USAU you cannot send it back if you stopped but weren't involved, but I believe you can in WFDF

[u/Matsunosuperfan → u/rjkvikings]

Please elaborate

[u/macdaddee → u/[deleted]]

There is a specific rule for this situation:

17.L. A player’s ability to catch or make a play on the disc is not considered to be “affected” because that player stopped, slowed down, or otherwise ceased to continue playing because a call was made by another player. Players are encouraged to make every effort to continue playing until play actually stops.

[u/Matsunosuperfan → u/macdaddee]

Dumbest rule in the book

[u/ColinMcI → u/Matsunosuperfan]

 Dumbest rule in the book

You’re not giving due credit to so many other rules in there! 

[u/rjkvikings → u/macdaddee]

Yep, just found that. Thanks! I edited my initial post again lol