NFL- Can someone explain the call/rule?

[sightlines]

With around 1:40 left in the first half, Cutler gets swarmed in the back field, 12 yard loss, fumbles, Forte picks it up and gains much of it back, but the ball was ruled dead.

The booth guys said, that inside two minutes only the player who fumbled the ball may pick it up and advance it. If someone else from his team recovers it, the ball is dead at that point.

1) What the heck is the point of the rule?
2) What the heck does inside 2 minutes have to do with the price of tea in China?

An ardent sports fan, I must admit the slow pace of the NFL game prevents me from tolerating much more than playoff ball, so I am not fully up to speed on the rules. This one just seems odd.

[comfortably numb]

It is the Raider rule designed to prevent offensive teams from intentionally fumbling the ball forward the way the Raiders did when they beat the Chragers some years ago.

[Vasserfan]

The Dave Casper rule.

[Clefo]

It was a direct response to The Holy Roller

[DaveL]

The rule goes back to a game between the Raiders and the Chargers in 1978 or 79. At the very end of the game, Ken Stabler fumbled the ball (on purpose as we would later find out) and batted forward towards the end zone. Dave Caspar fell on the ball in the end zone for a TD and Raiders victory.

Since then, the rule states that only the player who fumbled the ball may advance it when there are less than two minutes left in a half.

Edit: Looks like a few of y'all beat me to it.

[MoparsRule]

The Ken Stabler rule -- on fourth down or any down in the final two-minutes of play, if a player fumbles, only the fumbling player can recover and/or advance the ball. Enacted in 1979.

Details:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Ro...an_football%29 or

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Roller_%28American_football%29

The Holy Roller (September 10, 1978, Oakland Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers)

The Raiders were trailing the Chargers with 10 seconds remaining. Quarterback Ken Stabler fumbled the ball and running back Pete Banaszak swatted it into the end zone where tight end Dave Casper fell on it for a touchdown. After this play, it was made illegal to move the ball forward by deliberately swatting or kicking it after a fumble; and in the final two minutes of each half, plus on fourth down at any time in the game, a forward fumble recovered by any member of the offensive team other than the fumbler is spotted at the point of the fumble, not the point of the recovery.

[Ren Butler]

I think it has something to do with the Raiders.

[comfortably numb]

[KevMcNJ]

As if I didnt need another reason to hate the Raiders in the late 70s

[sightlines]

Ok, thanks. In last night's game the ball went backwards after the fumble not forward, why not differentiate the rule? And it definately wasn't swatted or kicked forward.

And again, what difference if it's in the first minute or the last?

edit: Just watched the video, looked like a forward lateral anyways.

[Coyote]

And again, what difference if it's in the first minute or the last?

Because if a team wants to deliberately fumble during the rest of the game, the opposition is cool with it. But in a desperation moment, it's a way to try to get around the fact that it is illegal to make a forward pitch. If you turn the ball over when things are so desperate anyway, you lost almost nothing.

At least that must be a part of it. Also, if you fumble accidentally, during the rest of the game you'd try to recover. But if it means the end of the game, you'd swat and boot it around, hoping to get lucky. Which isn't considered a good part of football I suppose.

[MoparsRule]

I think it has something to do with the Raiders.

That's the rumor.

[sightlines]

Ok, I get it. I think it's a stupid rule mind you, but i get it LOL.

IMO, if the ball goes backward, or if the recovering player is onside (behind the fumbler), he should be good to go.

[Coyote]

I also think a fumble backward should be treated like a pitch backward, and you should be able to advance it, even under two minutes. But you can't.

[sightlines]

Alright, so it's not just me

Stay tuned for my next rant on the 40 second play clock and stop time........