Runner down

Question
In the BCS championship game, why wasn't the runner (Dyer) considered down when the defender pulled him down on top of him, with Dyer's entire weight resting on the defender's body (which was on the ground)? Isn't the defender considered part of the ground? Thanks for your help ....

Answer
Dear Mike,
The answer to your question is no. The ball carrier's body must touch the ground and the defender is not considered part of the ground.

A down ends, and the ball becomes dead, after any of the following:

The player with the ball is forced to the ground (a tackle) or has his "Forward Progress Halted" by members of the other team (as "Determined by an Official").

A forward pass flies beyond the dimensions of the field (out of bounds) or touches the ground before it is caught. This is known as an incomplete pass. The ball is returned to the most recent line of scrimmage for the next down.

The ball or the player with the ball goes out of bounds.
A team scores.

Officials blow a whistle to notify players that the down is over.



In American football and Canadian football, to tackle is to physically interfere with the forward progress of a player in possession of the ball, such that his forward progress ceases and is not resumed, or such that he is caused to (Touch some part of his body to the Ground) (other than his feet or hands), or such that he is forced to go out of bounds. In any such case, the ball becomes dead, the down is over, and play ceases until the beginning of the next play. A tackle is known as a quarterback sack when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage while attempting to throw a pass. A tackle for loss indicates a tackle that causes a loss of yardage for the opposing running back or wide receiver. A sack does not count as a tackle for loss. When a player who does not have the ball is taken down it is generally referred to as a block.

Tacklers are not required to wrap their arms around the ball carrier before bringing him to the ground; in fact, the ball carrier is often "tackled" by the defender taking a running start and hitting the ball carrier to knock them to the ground. Tackles can also be made by grabbing the ball carrier's jersey and pulling him to the ground. As mentioned above, the referee can declare that a play is dead if the ballcarrier's forward progress has been stopped, even if no actual "tackle" has occurred.

There are some restrictions on tackles and blocks. At no time may a defensive player tackle an offensive player by grabbing the facemask of a football helmet; doing so incurs a 15 yard penalty and the victimized team gets a new set of downs. Although spear tackles are allowed in gridiron football, a player may not use his helmet to tackle an opponent since the technique can cause serious injury to both players and also warrants a 15 yard penalty as well as a fresh set of downs if committed by the defending team; this is known as "spearing the player." Grabbing a ball carrier by the pads behind his neck and pulling him down is known as a "horse collar," a method which has been made illegal at all levels of American football.


Your fiend, Louis

PS The information comes from "Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia".