OPI and ruling...

[ed r forshey]

The play was 4th and 10 and the other team ran a fade for a gain of 29 yds but was flagged for offensive pass interference.......the referee walked off the penalty from the spot of the foul which was still enough for a first down...........is this the correct call?? I always thought that the penalty would be walked off of the line of scrimmage and it would remain 4th down.
---------------------------------------------------------

My ANSWER:

Also isn't OPI a loss of down.
If I remember correctly its 15 yards from the LOS and loss of down.

So it should have been a turnover on downs after the mark off of the flag.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Which is correct,
The ?
or My answer

 

[White hat]

Ed, I'm glad to see you representing West Virginia here, because I sure hope no Virginia officials gave that ruling.

If OPI was the call (since I didn't see it, I don't know for sure, but I'm going to answer your question without regard to this specific play) then it should be walked off from the original line of scrimmage. Yes, this is a loss of down. It's the harshest penalty in the book and there is a marching army of officials who believe the loss of down aspect it too harsh, but it never gets changed so we live with it.

OPI on fourth down is especially harsh because it does mean 15 yards from the line AND the ball is turned over on downs.

 

[ed r forshey]

Thank goodness in this case it wasn't a game I was at,
someone ask this very question on wvpreps,
and I knew it was wrong, but your expert answer.