why was it important for the BALTIMORE RAVENS NOT to touch the ball after the blocked kick?
957733
The ball is live after a blocked or failed kick.  The Ravens could have picked it up and ran with it to try to score.  But if they muffed picking it up, fumbled it, or simply just touched it, that would have allowed the Titans to pick it up, run with it, and maybe score.  Think of it in the same way as a punt that is not fielded.\n\nSince they were ahead, and no time was left, better to just keep away from it, let it stop bouncing, and then down it.
792973
They have been calling it alot this year.  It further prevents defensive players from making a tackle and just laying on the opposing player running down the clock.  \n\nGood rule, but in this instance it was a bad flag.
566009
The rule was changed so that play would not be interrupted unnecessarily. Like you, I didn't quite get it. I looked up "new offside rule" on Google and came up with the link below. It seems to explain it quite well.
922423
It was originally put into place in 2004.\nThe owners adopted a 15-yard penalty for excessive celebrations, the penalty will be in addition to fines previously in place for choreographed and multiplayer celebrations such as Joe Horn's hidden cell phone trick and Terrell Owens' end-zone autograph.\nhttp://www.nfl.com/news/story/7221738\n\n\nIt was modified this year :\nRule expanded to say:  Stay on your feet. No more push-ups, sit-ups, boat-rowing, snow angels or worm crawls.  The rulesmakers also outlawed using the ball as a prop, adding it to the "foreign or extraneous objects that are not part of the uniform."\nhttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12070684/\n\n\nIf you are really looking for the history of the rule.  Back in 1984 a rule was introducted that said:\nUnsportsmanlike conduct will also by called for any prolonged, excessive, or premeditated celebration by individual players or a group of players. This is usually referred to as the "Mark Gastineau Rule" because a major reason why this change was made was to stop him from performing his signature "Sack Dance" every time after he sacked an opposing quarterback.\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_NFL_season
614565
Since each discipline is quite different in terms of technique and motion, most teams (actually all NFL teams currently) would rather have separate players take on these roles. Not too mention risking a player that may be needed in a close game, thaty being the placekicker.\n\nThere have been players in years past that have done double duty and I believe the teams feel that one or the other disciplines suffer. Also, if this player is injured, than you have two starters out instead of one.\n\n- Placekickers are generally needed to kick off, and score field goals and extra points. Risking injury on a punt is not a good idea.\n\n- Punters practice different aspects of kicking and generally don't work on the timing needed for place kicking. They do sometimes help out if the placekicker is injured.\n\nOne of the last double duty kickers I remember was Frank Corral - Los Angeles Rams
740875
There is no need for it, but as the game becomes more specialized and as coaches realize how important both punting and kicking are, they would rather make sure they get the best punter and kicker they can get.\nLook at it this way: suppose I'm a great punter. Now, I could also placekick, but I would likely be at least a little less accurate in my placekicking than someone who specialized just in that. Now, what coach is going to be happy with me placekicking when the game is on the line? The extra accuracy of the place-kicking specialist could be the diffence in the game, and of the coach keeping his job. \nSome teams have even gone so far as to have 2 placekickers, one for field goals and one for kickoffs.
71448
The philosopy is to protect the QB's since the "in the grasp" business from years ago was silly.\n\nI think the recitation of the rule above isn't quite right in most cases.  Outside the tackles there is no grounding so long as the pass gets past the line of scrimmage -- doesn't matter if it's in bounds, out of bounds, or whether there's a receiver nearby etc.
769769
It doesn't "mean" anything.  It's part of the QB cadence.  The offense starts the play on a certain count, say 3, after the QB yells hut 3 times.  That's a crude explanation, but it's accurate.  It ensures the offense moves at the same time.  If the offense moves at different times it will get false start penalties on every single play.
1131266
Football is a continuous flowing game i.e. the ball is always being kicked and moved around. However, there are situations when the ball is stopped and one player has time to kick it by himself (usually when there is a foul, offside or the ball crosses the line). Example: Free-kick, Corner-kick, Goal-kick, Throw-in etc. are types of set-pieces.
749813
I've only watched a couple of the ravens games this year and it seems to me that they use him quite a bit, especially on third downs, maybe thats why Billick fired the offensive co-ordinator and is running it himself.
120060
5 reasons\n\n1) u kick a football to start the game\n2) u kick fieldgoals\n3) u usually kick a PAT after a touchdown\n4) becuase people used to dropkick a lot\n5) onsides kicks sometime determine games
682919
Since this is in the American Football section, I would call for a blitz and provide a late hit on the quarterback.  The penelty would be offset by the QB's loss of effectiveness, knowing the opposing team just wants to hit him regardless of the timing.
920529
It's a down year, plain and simple.  They're throwing the ball way more than they have before, and they've abandoned their running game.  I'm a fan too, it's tough to watch this.\n\nI don't care who wins the super bowl, as long as it's not the Ravens.
30317
On December 23, 1972, in Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium, Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw faced a 4th down and 10 with 22 seconds left, trailing the Oakland Raiders 7-6.\n\nBradshaw threw a pass towards fullback John 'Frenchy' Fuqua who was being covered by Raiders safety Jack Tatum. Tatum hit Fuqua and knocked him to the ground near the Raiders 35 yardline, and the ball sailed backwards to the Raiders 42.\n\nSteelers running back Franco Harris was blocking on the play, but slipped out as a receiver. He was covered by Raiders lineback Phil Villipiano, who would left Harris to move towards the ball after it was thrown (Villipiano would later claim that he was clipped on the play). Harris caught the ball just above the turf as it ricocheted towards him, and ran into the end zone.\n\nThis play was a bit controversial for two reasons. First of all, the rules of that time dictated that Harris could not legally catch the ball if it had touched Fuqua UNLESS it had touched Tatum after it touched Fuqua. Although there was no instant replay in the 1970's, referee Fred Swearingen consulted with his crew and the by telephone with NFL director of officiating Art McNally for several minutes before signaling touchdown.
773949
Its not called Delay of Game,  you aactually have it right, it has its own categorie "Delay of Kickoff" and its 5 yards like everyone else has said.
808136
Stats wise, your free safety will have more interceptions and your strong safety will have more tackles.  When a safety blitz is called, it is almost always with a team’s strong safety.  Meanwhile, a defensive call will allow a free safety the option to "cheat" now and then.  When a free safety "cheats" he will shade toward a particular receiver based on his particular subjective read of the quarterback, or the direct play call by the the defensive coordinator.  The reason for these distinctions was clearly stated in above answers.  The safety position is a versatile yet supplementary position.  Since a safety can do "anything" on defense, from pass coverage, to run stopping, to blitzing the quarterback, to QB spying...there is no way that a single player with a given skill set can do all of these things.  Thus coaches draw a distinction and will ask one player to perform only a limited role.  Thus, on way to limit these roles is through an upfront distinction of "strong" safety with a limited role of run-stopping and blitzing, and a "free" safety who is "free" to roam around the secondary "spying" the QB or aiding in pass defense.  Hope this helps!
752186
Blocked punts do count.  But in order to get the points, they must remain behind the line of scrimmage.  Here's the rule:\n\n"Blocked kicks are counted only in instances where a kick (FG, PAT, or punt) is touched by the defense and remains behind the original line of scrimmage."\n\nI believe the punt you are talking about went beyond the line of scrimmage, so unfortunately, you won't get any points for that.