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Illegal touching

In the first quarter of the Patriots' season opening victory over the Jets, punt gunner Willie Andrews was penalized for "illegal touching".

The "illegal touching" was a result of Andrews having been out of bounds at some point on his way down the field, and then being the first player to touch the ball in the field of play.

As part of a rule change this year, when "illegal touching" occurs inside the 5-yard line (as Andrews' play did), the ball is placed at the 20-yard line. In past years, the penalty would have been marked off for five yards.

Bill Belichick was asked about the play in his Monday follow-up press conference, and agreed that the correct call was made. He said referee Jeff Triplette explained the call to him on the sideline, but the penalty might have confused viewers -- and definitely this reporter -- as Triplette did not explain the call over the microphone.

In the future, one area to watch for when it comes to "illegal touching" is an official without his hat on his head. In this case, the side judge, Greg Meyer, removed his cap to indicate that a player had gone outside the field of play.