Thursday evening’s NFL Kickoff Recreation between the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs was stuffed with fascinating moments.
One such second got here late within the first half, with Lamar Jackson and the Ravens driving for a possible go-ahead landing. Baltimore confronted a 2nd and objective from the Chiefs’ 7-yard line, and because the Kansas Metropolis protection slowly aligned for the play, Mike Tirico within the broadcast sales space questioned if the Chiefs wanted to name a timeout to get on the appropriate web page defensively.
That timeout shortly got here:
One downside? It appeared within the second that it was defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo who was the coach on the Kansas Metropolis sideline who referred to as the timeout, and never head coach Andy Reid, as you’ll be able to see across the 43-second mark of the above clip.
The incident sparked a dialogue on social media about who’s accountable for calling timeouts, so for a enjoyable Friday exercise, let’s head to the official NFL Rulebook!
Rule 4 of the official NFL guidelines governs “recreation timing,” and contained in Rule 4 is Part 5, which covers timeouts.
Part 5, Article 1, titled “Charged Crew Timeouts,” outlines who can name a timeout, and reads as follows:
The Referee shall droop play whereas the ball is lifeless and declare a charged group timeout upon the request for a timeout by the top coach or any participant (not a substitute) to any official. If an assistant coach alerts for a timeout and it’s inadvertently granted, the timeout will stand.
Below Rule 5, Article 1, solely head coaches and gamers within the recreation can name a timeout. Assistant coaches — like Spagnuolo — can’t. Nonetheless, if an assistant coach requires a timeout and an official, listening to that decision, grants the timeout “inadvertently,” then the timeout will stand.
The timeout may need labored for Kansas Metropolis, because the Ravens’ subsequent play was an incompletion, and Baltimore was compelled to accept a discipline objective earlier than halftime because the Chiefs took a 13-10 result in the locker room. Kansas Metropolis gained by a last rating of 27-20.
Now, it is very important observe that in accordance with some reporters on the recreation, Reid was additionally signaling for a timeout, and that was granted. Spagnuolo solely raced all the way down to get the eye of a separate referee when he believed that the timeout Reid had requested had not been granted. Sam McDowell, who covers the Chiefs for the Kansas Metropolis Star, supplied this view on Thursday evening:
This video does not present the complete context. Andy Reid referred to as timeout first. The choose on the again pylon observed Reid, and gave it to him.
Spags did not spot that, and since the close to ref had not seen Reid’s TO, Spags raced in, as seen right here. However timeout had already been granted https://t.co/NwfohwBFGA
— Sam McDowell (@SamMcDowell11) September 6, 2024
The timeout incident didn’t come up in Reid’s post-game press convention, as there was lots else to debate. However given the way it touched off an enormous dialogue on social media Thursday evening, we needed to move alongside the rule, simply in case it comes up at one other level this season.
