Texas challenge flag
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Texas challenge flag in American college football refers to incidents of fans (usually students) throwing debris onto the playing field, forcing the game to stop momentarily, with the intent of allowing or inducing the officials to review the call (the way challenge flags are used in the National Football League). The term originated with the Texas vs. Georgia game in the 2024 season where this tactic appeared to be used successfully (officially, the league [the Southeastern Conference] says that the call was discussed among officials in a way that was permitted, and not caused by the fan-thrown debris[1]).
Games in which the Texas challenge flag has been used, include:
Texas vs Georgia 2024 game
[edit]Debris was thrown by Texas fans, and after it was cleaned up, play resumed, but with a different call than originally.[1] This is why some people have the idea that fan-thrown debris can be used to change officials' calls. Although the play was changed to benefit Texas, the game still ended up with Georgia winning.
Ohio State vs Nebraska 2024 game
[edit]Ohio State fans threw debris on the field for a similar reason during a game against Nebraska. Ohio State won the game, and the league (the Big Ten) elected not to reprimand Ohio State for the incident.[2] As a result, some sources referenced it as a precedent where fans of Ohio State would be able to use their Texas challenge flag.[3]
Clemson vs Louisville 2024 game
[edit]Clemson fans threw debris on the field.[4] It was also referred to as a Texas challenge flag.[5] This time it did not result in the officials changing their call. Clemson lost the game to Louisville. (Update this article later to indicate if there are any sanctions from the ACC)
References
[edit]- ^ a b https://www.secsports.com/news/2024/10/statement-regarding-officiating-decision-in-georgia-texas-football-game
- ^ https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/college/football/2024/10/28/big-ten-to-take-no-action-after-ohio-state-fans-threw-debris-on-field/75883615007/
- ^ https://old.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/1gew371/the_big_ten_will_not_reprimand_ohio_state_after/lucz224/?context=10000
- ^ https://athlonsports.com/college-football/cheerleaders-involved-in-dangerous-incident-clemson-louisville
- ^ Comment "the Texas Challenge Flags were not effective.", by @chrisoffutt8968, permanent link to comment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iwQwk9guw0&lc=Ugz6RHIj1W-xnTgmA6p4AaABAg
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