Viktor
Well-known member
- Mar 19, 2019
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I watched the replay several times on NFL Rewind at the 3:15 mark of the fourth quarter. I know that the Cook fumble was reversed, preventing a Saints touchdown. But if it was not? Would there have been a penalty for Teddy Bridgewater running onto the field without his helmet on before the play was over? How could it have affected the play, or for that matter the game?
— Kim Heffern, Milwaukee metro area
I think we all breathed a sigh of relief when there was a clear and obvious view of Cook’s knee hitting the turf before the ball came out. I won’t pretend to be an NFL rules guru, but the following language is from the NFL Ops manual regarding celebrations….
Beginning in 2019, only players in uniform may enter the field to celebrate. If anyone other than a player in uniform enters the field, it is a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct — loss of 15 yards and an automatic first down.
2019 Rules Changes and Points of Emphasis | NFL Football Operations
The NFL is committed to protecting its players from unnecessary risk, while keeping the game fair, competitive and exciting.
Since Bridgewater was in uniform except for the hat, then I think he would have been OK under that rule to run down after the play concluded. The interesting component is that he didn’t wait until the play was over and he was well onto the playing surface, which might kick enforcement to this rule regarding illegal substitutions:
If a substitute enters the field of play or the end zone while the ball is in play, it is an illegal substitution. If an illegal substitute interferes with the play, it may be a palpably unfair act (see12-3-4).