MLN Sports Zone - Minor League Sports Magazine

Controversial Call
If the NFL wants to revise OT, they might want to consider this.

Jonathan Roybal
MinorLeagueNews.com

The National Football League does not have a monopoly on football controversy.

It seems almost every week during the NFL season, a situation arises in which some inconsistency, disagreement, or discrepancy allows the media to debate the circumstances until the next Sunday rolls around.

The Arizona Rattlers-Dallas Desperados game in week 5, proved the AFL is no different.

After Dallas tied the game at the end of regulation, Arizona won the overtime coin toss and elected to kickoff. Rattler Coach Danny White opted for some trickery, calling for an onside kick, which Arizona recovered.

Quarterback Sherdrick Bonner found Chris Horn in the end zone for a 1-yard score, and although Nelson Garner missed the extra point, it appeared the Rattlers had escaped with a victory.

Unfortunately for Arizona, the AFL rules state that each team must have a possession in overtime, and an onside kick or a muffed kick does not count as a possession. (Section 15.3, Arena Football League Rules).

A rule, so obscure it could be named the "Tuck Rule", gave the Dallas Desperados a chance to win the game.

Quarterback Jim Kubiak took that chance and delivered the game tying 10-yard touchdown pass to Shannon Culver in overtime. That allowed kicker Jason Wells to win the game with his extra point.

"It's an obscure rule that's never been tested," lamented Coach White.

"We checked the rulebook and an onside kick is not considered a possession, so they were right. Common sense to me says that an onside kick should count as a possession, so they got me. Had I known that rule, we would not have called the onside kick."

It was the second year in a row Dallas beat Arizona at America West Arena with a kick. Last season, Jason Wells nailed a 34-yard field goal as time expired to give Dallas the win. There was slightly more scoring this time around, but the result was the same as Dallas knocked off the Rattlers 65-64 in overtime in front of 12, 972 fans.