After a play that got the Jets to the Giants’ 17 with the clock ticking under 10 seconds, everyone hustled to the line.
That included umpire Bryan Neale.
Neale swooped in, slipping between the left guard and left tackle and touching the ball before it was snapped. Neale didn’t spot the ball; the Jets did. Neale simply touched it, allowing it to be snapped.
It looked strange. It seemed off. It appeared that the umpire abandoned his duty to spot the ball, making a perfunctory tap and allowing it to be snapped. Many have complained about the perception that the Jets got a gift.
But here’s the reality. That’s the approach, and the league is fine with it.
If the football is on the ground and in the correct spot, the official simply has to touch the ball before the snap. That’s what happened here.
So what about the concern that the Jets spotted the ball on their own?
As one source explained it, the downfield officials are marking the spot on the sideline. During training camp, officials work with clubs and players to remind them of the officials that they use as guides when lining up.
In this case, the Jets executed everything to perfection. They lined up in the right place, got the ball in the right spot, waited for the official to touch the ball, and then snapped it and spiked it. (It’s possible that Giants defender Kayvon Thibodeaux was in the neutral zone at the snap; if called, that would have given the Jets a shorter field goal try.)
As another source put it, the league is comfortable with this approach because it gives the offense a chance to squeeze out another play, setting the stage for more exciting finishes to games.