NFL Officiating explained the Dre Greenlaw hit and ejection
NFL Officiating explained the Dre Greenlaw hit and ejection
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And you thought determining if a catch had occurred was the most bizarre aspect of refereeing in the NFL?
The Philadelphia Eagles were soundly trounced 42–19 by the San Francisco 49ers. Due to his ejection, linebacker Dre Greenlaw was absent for a significant portion of that defensive effort in the second half.
The whistle blew, resulting in a flag, and wide receiver DeVonta Smith was suplexed by Dre Greenlaw after the 49ers marched down the field to start the second half, leading 21–6. The penalty was a clear case of needless roughness combined with a stupid move.
The story didn’t end there. Dom DiSandro, the top security officer for Philadelphia, was contacted shortly afterward by Greenlaw. Greenlaw gave DiSandro a nudge, and while some saw it as a pointed finger, others saw it as a real punch.
That made things worse. Next thing you know both Greenlaw and DiSandro are ejected.
The 49ers were the only team punished, though. Nothing to the bench of Philadelphia, no compensatory fouls. DiSandro exited to thunderous cheers after his performance.
What then goes wrong?
Following the game, NFL Senior Vice President of Officiating Walt Anderson spoke with Eagles beat reporter Zach Berman and provided a detailed explanation. The complete manuscript can be found below:
That’s very much what you would anticipate—a lot of nothing. Rule 19, which outlines what is reviewed, is the only item to keep in mind. The rulebook is available for reading here. According to rule 19, referees are permitted to flag a player and then refer to the video for clarification; however, they are not permitted to flag a non-player after the fact.
DiSandro might have been flagged by the referees in real time during the scrum (which would have been disrespectful for him to be on Philadelphia’s bench), but since they didn’t flag him at the beginning, a non-player cannot be flagged after the fact. In that case, just other players.
The other thing to remember is that Greenlaw’s ejection was caused by him touching DiSandro, who wasn’t involved in this game. His suplex and his perceptive post-play talk with the Philly bench had nothing to do with it.
This does not completely absolve non-players of responsibility. Rule 8 explains that as follows:
Basically, this was missed by the referees. DiSandro may have been flagged for two personal fouls if they had flagged him directly rather than waiting to consult review. Rather, they followed up on Greenlaw’s communication with DiSandro and were unable to flag him later on due to his status as a “non-player.” He is the “non-player,” so if a player touches him, he will be removed right away.
That’s just dumb.
The penalty imposed by Greenlaw is uncontested. According to Brock Lesnar, the suplex was too much. Although the dismissal seems harsh, on paper it makes sense since rules are rules and that non-players are protected by them.
In those circumstances, the 49ers must remain composed, and they are extremely fortunate that the loss of one of their finest run-stoppers did not cause them more harm than good. Although being ejected is a severe punishment, such conduct is not acceptable. The officials also needed to maintain control over the game to prevent far worse behavior than what we witnessed.
Having stated that, it is inexplicable that neither party be penalized in this case. It’s possible that the competition committee will get a case like this in the off-season, when officials may assess further flags raised by referees in a scrum involving non-players.
If non-players on the other team’s bench participate, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be disciplined for it. If that’s the case, what would prevent a club in this same situation from benching someone?
This one was definitely overlooked by the authorities, but it doesn’t help that, as far as I can tell, there’s a peculiar loophole that prohibits them from penalizing non-players after the fact.
Thus, the “Dre Greenlaw” rule and the Tush Push ban could be placed on the docket.
All this shift can be inspired, at least, by the Eagles.