With the new flag-football season almost underway, Recreational Services and students alike remember one game in particular from last year’s season. Those familiar with the contest refer to it simply as “the Bubble Game.”

Open-league co-champs Legit Ballers and fraternity-league champs Sigma Chi dueled in the Bubble in October 2008. With a spot in the All-University finals on the line, the game couldn’t have been more dramatic.

UI sophomore and Legit Ballers wide receiver/defensive back Sam Wiss remembers how the 14-13 victory played out.

“[The game had] just gone back and forth,” he said. “It was a defensive game.”

In a tight match, the final play gave the game an untouchable status.

A hail-Mary toss by Sigma Chi quarterback Nate Ley was intercepted in the end zone by the Legit Ballers’ Zach Edwards. Edwards, who normally played quarterback, was in the game for one play on defense.

Thinking the catch had ended the game, Edwards celebrated by throwing the ball out of the back of the end zone.

As a result, Sigma Chi players began screaming for a safety, which had been initially signaled.

“We were excited,” said Sigma Chi’s Chad Bruntz, then a sophomore. “We thought we had won,”

“Their whole sideline was celebrating,” Wiss said. “We were dumbfounded.”

But the ruling was challenged by the game’s head referee, leading to a five-minute conference among the officials. Eventually, a rule book was brought out, and the refs found what they were looking for.

After 10 minutes of discussion, the play was ruled a touchback, and the Legit Ballers were awarded the win, leaving the Sigma Chi players incensed.

While this may have been obvious to Ed Hochuli, the flag-football rule book may have been more ambiguous.

Recreational Services pointed to rule 8, section 6, article 2C, which states: “The ball is out of bounds behind a goal line (except from an incomplete forward pass). … if in doubt, it is a touchback.”

But while the rule leaves some room for interpretation, Bruntz said once he looked at it, he believed it was the right call.

Eventually, the Legit Ballers lost in the All-University championship game to UISSC, but the team will always have the major victory in the Bubble.

This season, each team returns all but one of its players and is packed with experience. The Legit Ballers players said they have replaced their lost member, and they plan to terrorize the Open League.

Bruntz said he isn’t worried about his team in the usually competitive fraternity league.

“I’m fairly confident we can win it again,” he said.