The rules of the NFL are perhaps the most complex in the world, or at least among the most complex. Sometimes, even official referees need to consult a rulebook during a game to make a correct call.
Regarding a successful catch and the run after it, there are many specific rules. One rule states that if a player with the ball touches the ground with both knees but is not touched by an opposing player, the ball is still live and the play can continue.
For example, if Lu Ke is in the pocket and about to throw, but the pocket collapses and a defender tries to sack him, Lu Ke doesn't give up. He uses his feet to evade the tackle, and in the process, he falls to the ground. But if no opposing player touches him, Lu Ke can get back up and complete the pass. This would be a legal pass.
The same principle applied to Vernon's play. At the moment he completed the catch, no defensive player had touched him, so the ball was not dead. Vernon was therefore able to get up again and continue to gain yards. The play would only have ended when Vernon lost his balance and fell out of bounds, or if an opposing player had tackled him and forced both of his knees to the ground.
However, this rule is very rare in a game because the situation is so specific. Some players may not even know about it, or they might not remember it in the heat of the moment and stop advancing after their knees touch the ground. Occasionally, you can see a player making a catch and falling down. An opposing defender will run over and lightly tap the player, not to comfort them or show respect, but to ensure the play is dead.
Lu Ke stood in the pocket, straightened up, and quickly looked around. For a moment, he wasn't sure what was happening on the field. Then, he heard Harbaugh's voice. "Snap the ball! Bambi, snap the ball!"
The voice was so urgent, almost frantic, that Lu Ke was confused. He looked at Harbaugh on the left side of the field and pointed at the referee. The meaning was clear without words: Didn't the referee just stop the play? Harbaugh didn't have time to explain and kept shouting, "Snap the ball!" At the same time, he made an exaggerated motion along the sideline, pumping his arms in a circular motion, indicating that Lu Ke should continue to advance.
This scene was not only confusing to Lu Ke but also a little comical. But Lu Ke didn't question it further. He turned around and gestured for his offensive teammates to get ready for the snap, but it was too late.
"Timeout." First, a whistle blew, then the announcement came over the speakers. The referee officially announced a timeout. "The New York Giants have challenged the call. We are now reviewing the play."
It was only then that Lu Ke realized what was going on. He turned his head to the right and saw the New York Giants' head coach, Tom Coughlin, throwing a red flag, officially challenging the referee's call.
There are two types of flags in a football game: a yellow flag signifies a foul and results in a penalty of yards, while a red flag is a challenge by a head coach to a referee's call. However, there are limitations on when a red flag can be used. A head coach cannot challenge any play in the game at any time; they can only challenge a call in the brief window after the play has ended but before the next play begins.
Because the window to make a decision is so short and the risk is so great—if the challenge fails, the team loses a timeout for that half—head coaches often have to rely on their intuition rather than making a rational decision. Sometimes, they can lose the game because of a red flag challenge; other times, they miss a call that would have been in their favor and regret it after the game.
In other words, if Lu Ke had snapped the ball immediately and started a new play, Coughlin would not have been able to challenge the referee's call, and the game would have continued. This was why Harbaugh was frantically signaling to him. But Lu Ke didn't understand the subtlety of the situation and missed the window to snap the ball, allowing Coughlin to think for a moment and decide to challenge the call.
In this moment, Lu Ke's biggest weakness was exposed: his lack of experience. This was the first time in Lu Ke's career that he had encountered a red flag challenge. He had no idea there was any controversy about the call or why Coughlin was arguing with the referee, so he missed the opportunity. Lu Ke, who seemed so clever and composed during the game, finally revealed his true nature as a rookie. A veteran quarterback would have snapped the ball immediately after seeing the coach's signal, even if they had initially missed the timing. But there was no "what if."
After he realized what happened, Lu Ke couldn't help but laugh at himself. A wave of absurdity washed over him.
"Red flag challenge. The veteran coach of the New York Giants, Tom Coughlin, has thrown the flag. Lu Ke clearly missed the opportunity to snap the ball quickly, giving the Giants a chance to challenge. Harbaugh is holding his head on the sidelines in frustration. Now, we can finally confirm that this is indeed a rookie quarterback."
Although a red flag had been thrown on the field, Teddy's tone was very relaxed as he teased Lu Ke a little. It's not often that a moment like this happens in Week 10 of the regular season.
"This game is definitely brilliant. Less than four minutes have passed, and we've already had a fourth-and-three conversion and now a red flag challenge. This is already a very eventful and unexpected start." After the joke, Teddy returned to the game. "Kirk, what do you think about Coughlin's red flag challenge?"
"The point of contention right now is whether Prince Amukamara touched Vernon Davis in the short time between his knees touching the ground and him getting back up. The referee's previous call was that he wasn't touched, so Davis's run was legal."
Kirk briefly explained which part of the call Coughlin was challenging, then the slow-motion replay started playing. He used a yellow marker to circle the area of focus on the screen. "It's... a bit ambiguous. From this angle, it looks like he wasn't touched, but it could be the camera angle. We need to get a different angle to look at it again."
However, there seemed to be a problem with the live broadcast's replay. The same clip was played over and over again. Kirk and Teddy watched it carefully a few times but still couldn't make a conclusion. Teddy, being more experienced, skipped the video and asked directly, "Kirk, personally, do you think Coughlin's red flag challenge was impulsive or confident?"
"I think that's an interesting question." Kirk nodded in agreement. "This play happened on the right side, right in front of the Giants' players and coaches. Maybe they had a clearer view, and after a brief argument, Coughlin decided to challenge."
"Of course, even if it fails, the Giants only lose one timeout, and this is just the first half, so the risk isn't that great. Therefore, Coughlin was a bit more daring." After his analysis, Kirk still refused to give a conclusion. "Well, this is a matter of probability, so let's leave it to the referees to decide."
In NFL games, there are many moments where a replay needs to be reviewed. In addition to the red flag challenges, referees sometimes have to gather together to watch a replay to make an accurate call. Later, to avoid incorrect calls, the league introduced a new rule that all touchdowns in the last two minutes of the first and second halves must be reviewed to ensure they were legal. For this purpose, a small black tent, nicknamed the "black box," is set up on the sidelines for every game. The referees go into the black box to watch the replays and contact the NFL headquarters to review the call from multiple angles and perspectives, ensuring the final decision is as fair as possible.
As a side note, in 2017, the league changed the rule because they wanted the replay process to be more transparent. The black box was replaced by a staff member holding a tablet on the sidelines, and the referees would huddle around to watch the replay. The new process was transparent, but it lacked dignity and looked a bit unprofessional, which was a point of ridicule for many commentators.
At this moment, all the referees were gathered in the black box on the sidelines, repeatedly watching the game footage. The wait was a bit long. Lu Ke and the offense stood on the sidelines, drinking water and resting. At the same time, Lu Ke was discussing plays with the offensive coaches.
When they first came off the field, Lu Ke became the target of everyone's teasing. He had missed the timing of the snap, which led to the Giants successfully challenging the call. Vernon was the first to come over, feigning aggression. "If this play gets overturned, it's all because of you." But the smile in his eyes gave away his true emotions. Lu Ke looked confused. "Are you sure it's not because of you? Didn't you fail to secure the ball when you were running?" But this time, all the other players said in unison, "No, it's you."
Not only the players but also the coaches laughed. Originally, a red flag challenge could have negated Vernon's brilliant run and might have disrupted the 49ers' newly found offensive rhythm, which was not a good thing. But now, amidst the laughter, the team had relaxed and didn't seem to be too affected. It was just unfortunate for Lu Ke that this incident would probably be a running joke for him for a long time.
"Red flag boy," Marcus quipped.
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