Down by seven points with 10 seconds left, a sophomore quarterback scrambles around the pocket and evades tacklers just long enough to score a touchdown with two seconds left.

He jumps up, tosses the ball into the air and leaps into the arms of a jubilant teammate, as the rest of the offense joins the celebration.

But the quarterback is flagged for excessive celebration, costing his team 15 yards, and the game, as the subsequent extra point is blocked.

Down by five points to the No. 4 team in the country with 1:09 left in the fourth quarter, a sophomore receiver makes a spectacular leaping catch over a defender as his team takes a 13-12 lead.

The receiver drops the ball where he stands, and roars in elation, as teammates celebrate with him.

Except, the receiver is flagged for excessive celebration and the ensuing kickoff will be from the 15-yard line instead of the 30. The opposing team then begins with excellent field position, quickly scores and eventually wins 20-13.

Those two examples of players receiving excessive celebration penalties – Washington’s Jake Locker and Georgia’s A.J. Green – is just the tip of the iceberg.

Before the 2008 football season, the NCAA passed a rule cracking down on post play celebrations, hoping to eliminate taunting as well as staged and flamboyant celebrations.

(See: Any time NFL receivers Ochocinco, Chad; or Owens, Terrell, score a touchdown).

But it’s time to throw a flag on NCAA officials because enough is enough.

I have no problem throwing a flag on players who pound their chest and showboat after a simple first down or touchdown that has no real impact a game’s final result.

But that wasn’t the case in these situations.

Locker was flagged, because, according to the rule book, he violated the rule that forbids “throwing the ball high into the air.”

Seriously?

What defines “high?” One foot? Five to 10 feet? If a more ambiguous rule exists, please let me know.

And Green’s penalty, one of two celebration penalties Georgia committed Saturday against LSU, falls right in line with Locker’s.

His touchdown gave Georgia momentum, and most importantly, a 13-12 lead over the No. 4 team in the country late in the game.

He didn’t perform a Lambeau Leap or spike the ball through the goal posts or pound his chest like Tarzan. He dropped the ball at his feet, shook his head and put his arms in the air while waiting for his teammates to celebrate with him.

But one of the officials felt Green violated the rules, threw a flag and it cost Georgia the game as the Tigers started their game-winning drive at the UGA 38.

C’mon ref. These kids are between 17 and 23 years old and are going to get excited when about to beat a conference rival.

Especially when that rival is in the top five nationally and the game is at home.

“To me, if you’re losing the game, and it’s late in the game, and it looks like all hope is lost, and then you get a spark, you get down the field and you score a touchdown, I think that was probably the right amount of celebration,” Georgia coach Mark Richt told reporters after the game. “I don’t know if it was excessive for the moment. Considering what had happened, I thought that was probably about par for the course. I don’t know how you determine what’s excessive and what’s not. I guess it’s just if you do it too long or you pile on each other or something.

“I didn’t think they went too crazy. I thought they were well within their celebratory rights.”

I can understand the celebration penalties on Georgia freshman tight end Orson Charles earlier in the game and LSU running back Charles Scott when he scored the game-winning touchdown.

I don’t like either of them, but I can accept them.

After making a first down catch, Charles – looking in the direction of the student section – celebrated on his own, drawing the official’s eye – and his flag.

And Scott brought his fingers to his mouth in a “shushing” motion directed toward the Georgia fans.

If Scott wasn’t penalized, there might have been a riot.

But the fact remains that the excessive celebration penalty is ambiguous at best, and must be looked at.

“Football’s an emotional game and a game that’s supposed to be played with passion,” Georgia quarterback Joe Cox said after the game. “I understand there’s a lot of things that shouldn’t be done, taunting and things that are just unsportsmanlike. But when you’re celebrating with your teammates after a good play, and a big play, I don’t see why you’d penalize a team for getting excited about having a successful play. But obviously there’s a fine line between celebration and excessive celebration. And I guess we crossed it.”

- Michael Fitzpatrick is the opinions editor of The Red & Black