posted by Zebra Man on Jan 23
With 47 seconds left on the clock and the Buccaneers trailing to the Rams by only 11 to 6 on January 23rd, 2000, Bucs quarterback Shaun King completed a 13 yard pass to receiver Bert Emanuel. As he brought the ball into his body to secure the catch, the nose of the ball touched the ground.
The pass was ruled incomplete by referee Bill Carollo crushing the hopes of Buccaneer fans. No rule change resulted from this situation. The NFL issued clarifications to indicate what is to be considered a valid pass reception. This clarification is now often referred to as “The Bert Emanuel Rule”.
Box Score – Buccaneers/Rams 1999 NFC Championship Game
