Late in the third quarter of Sunday’s Bengals-Packers game at Lambeau Field, Cincinnati took a penalty for having too many men on the field. The Bengals had 12 defenders on the field while Aaron Rodgers prepared to take a snap. One of them, defensive back William Jackson, tried to scurry off in the nick of time:
Why the Bengals got flagged for 12 men on the field, even while one was jumping off
A player in the air isn’t considered “off” the field.
Officials flagged the Bengals immediately. Green Bay had snapped the ball just as Jackson was jumping from the field to the sideline. Just like the NFL’s rulebook considers a ball-carrier in bounds until he lands out of bounds, it considers a player “on the field” until he’s gotten all the way off it and touched the sideline.
The respected Football Zebras Twitter account confirms:
And the NFL’s league office confirmed it a few seconds later, when it upheld the 12-man penalty after Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis challenged it.
Having too many men on the field carries a five-yard penalty. In this case, it brought up a first-and-5 for Rodgers and the Packers, who eventually kicked a field goal. The Bengals led 21-17 early in the fourth quarter.
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