Rule question (college)

[Hampton Roads 6]

Can a penalty be called without a flag being thrown. I saw a game yesterday where a punt returner muffed a punt on 1 yard line. he recovered it tried to run, got tackled in the end zone. Ball was spotted at the 1 yard line. then officials huddled up, and then the white hat announced fair catch interference on kicking team. No flag was ever thrown, but they marked off the yardage. If it was interference, why didn't someone throw a flag.

 

[White hat]

Technically, yes, it could be called without a flag.

But also remember that it's possible the official on the sideline dropped a flag. We talk about "spot" of the foul, but in some cases the spot is actualy a stripe -- it's the yardline. An official on the sideline who saw the FCI could have just dropped his flag right there at that yardline. It wouldn't make any real differnce and there's no real need to sail a flag over to the spot.