[CTcard]

That play happened right in front of me and it wasn't a dead ball foul.  The play and tackle were happening on the West side of the field and while our defender was looking that direction, the Arizona receiver gave him a cheap shot from the side and knocked him down.  They happened simultaneously and, when I watched the recording, the ref didn't call it a dead ball foul.  It happened somewhere around the 20 or 25 yard line so it was half the distance to the goal and a repeat of second down. 

Maybe, but ...

On the replay you can hear "Dead ball foul ..." as the ref begins to describe the infraction. However, it is kind of muffled and doesn't sound like the rest of the description, and I am not sure it was the ref talking or a mike that picked up somebody else claiming that.

Secondly, there is some issue on the yardage, but I have to go back and read/remember the rules on where things get marked off from. The ball was placed on the 15. The previous line of scrimmage was the 27 - halfway to the goal would be the 13 1/2. On the play in question, the ball was downed at the 30 - and marking off 15 yards from there would be the 15. However, that would also be the case if the infraction occurred on the 30 and perhaps they marked off the penalty from the location of the infraction.

So, given your correction, my current understanding is that it was indeed a live ball foul that occurred at the 30, was marked off from that point, and it was mere coincidence that the ball was also marked at the 30 after the play.

[CTcard]

That play happened right in front of me and it wasn't a dead ball foul.  The play and tackle were happening on the West side of the field and while our defender was looking that direction, the Arizona receiver gave him a cheap shot from the side and knocked him down.  They happened simultaneously and, when I watched the recording, the ref didn't call it a dead ball foul.  It happened somewhere around the 20 or 25 yard line so it was half the distance to the goal and a repeat of second down. 

Maybe, but ...

On the replay you can hear "Dead ball foul ..." as the ref begins to describe the infraction. However, it is kind of muffled and doesn't sound like the rest of the description, and I am not sure it was the ref talking or a mike that picked up somebody else claiming that.

Secondly, there is some issue on the yardage, but I have to go back and read/remember the rules on where things get marked off from. The ball was placed on the 15. The previous line of scrimmage was the 27 - halfway to the goal would be the 13 1/2. On the play in question, the ball was downed at the 30 - and marking off 15 yards from there would be the 15. However, that would also be the case if the infraction occurred on the 30 and perhaps they marked off the penalty from the location of the infraction.

So, given your correction, my current understanding is that it was indeed a live ball foul that occurred at the 30, was marked off from that point, and it was mere coincidence that the ball was also marked at the 30 after the play.