2007 Football Rules & Interpretations

2007 FOOTBALL RULES & INTERPRETATIONS

QUIZ: WEEK #1

1. PLAY: Fourth and 8 on B's 33. Team A is in a scrimmage kick formation to attempt a field goal. Immediately following the snap, B97 initiates contact with snapper A53 by grabbing and pulling him so that B59 may run through the vacated area. The kick is unsuccessful. Clock?

2. PLAY: 4th and 10 on A's 35. The snap sails over punter A8's head. The ball is rolling at A's 16 when A8 kicks the ball forward. A64 recovers the ball on A's 38 and advances to B's 42 where he is downed. Clock?

3. PLAY: Fourth and 8 on A's 40. The snap goes over punter A8's outstretched arms. While he is chasing the ball, B34 holds A80 on A's 45. A8 recovers the ball, circles around and punts the ball from A's 17. B22 catches the punt on B's 47 and is downed on A's 49. Clock?

4. PLAY: Fourth and 6 on B's 30. A4's field goal attempt is partially blocked. The ball hits on B's 25 and rebounds behind the neutral zone where A87 muffs the ball on B's 33. The ball rolls out of bounds on B's 32. Clock?

5. PLAY: Fourth and 8 from B's 45. A4 punts. B33 bats the rolling ball from B's 6 into B's end zone. B44 recovers the ball in B's end zone and advances to B's 7 where he is downed. B55 holds A84 on B's 8 during the kick and before the bat by B33. Clock?

6. PLAY: Third and 8 on B's 32. QB A18 is looking to pass when B44 holds A88 on B's 27. A18 is forced to run and fumbles on B's 10. B58 recovers while grounded on B's 8. B92 was offside at the snap. Clock?

7. PLAY: Fourth and 10 on A's 20. The score is tied. A6's punt is illegally touched by A56 on B's 42, then picked up on B's 39 by B84 who runs five yards and fumbles. A89 picks up the fumble and drags a defender to Team B's goal line equidistant between the hash marks. The covering official signals touchdown. During A89's run, B72 commits a incidental face mask foul in making the tackle. Four seconds remain in the fourth quarter. Replay shows that A89 was downed on B's 1/2. Team B is coming out of the huddle to snap the ball on B's 42. Clock? Reviewable? [A.R. 6-3-2- V] QUIZ ANSWERS: 2007 WEEK #1

1. RULING: A's ball, 1st and 10, on B's 18. The clock starts on the snap. When a team is in a scrimmage kick formation, a defensive player may not initiate contact with the snapper until one second has elapsed after the snap. A scrimmage kick formation requires that it is obvious that a kick may be attempted. The foul is a personal foul and not holding. The penalty carries a first down.

2. RULING: B's ball, 1st and goal, on A's 8. The clock starts on the snap. The advance by A64 is legal. A64 recovered a backward pass. Team B will accept the penalty for A8's illegal kicking foul. The foul occurs behind the basic enforcement spot, the previous spot. The penalty is enforced from the spot of the foul, A's 16, and carries a loss of down. In 1998, the clock would have started on the ready for play since the clock was stopped to award a first down to Team A.

3. RULING: B's ball, 1st and 10, on B's 37. The clock starts on the snap. Postscrimmage kick enforcement applies from the snap until the kick ends provided certain requirements are met. The kick crossed the neutral zone. The Team B foul occurred three or more yards beyond the neutral zone. Team A does not have possession of the ball when the down ends. The fact that the foul occurred before the ball was kicked is not relevant.

4. RULING: B's ball, 1st and 10, on B's 33. The clock starts on the snap. The kick crosses the neutral zone when it hits the ground on B's 25. A87 commits an illegal touching violation because the kick has crossed the neutral zone and the ball has not touched an opponent after crossing the neutral zone. The most advantageous spot is B's 33.

5. RULING: B's ball, 1st and 10, on B's 4. The clock starts on the snap. When a kick ends in B's end zone, the postscrimmage kick spot is B's 20. Even though the bat by B33 added new impetus, the status of the ball is still a scrimmage kick. The end of the kick is B's end zone and so the postscrimmage kick spot is B's 20. Therefore, the holding penalty is enforced from B's 8, the spot of the foul. If B44 did not make it out of B's end zone, the result of the play would be a safety.

6. RULING: A's ball, 1st and goal, on B's 5. The clock starts on the snap. B44 commits a holding foul during a running play. There was no legal forward pass. The end of the run is B's 10. The 10-yard penalty is enforced from the end of the run, B's 10. The clock was stopped to award a first down to Team B.

7. RULING: A 1/goal B-1/4. The clock starts on the snap. The play is reviewable under Side Line, Goal Line, End Line, "Scoring plays including a runner in possession of a live ball breaking the plane of the goal line". The 5-yard penalty is enforced from the end of A89's run, B's-1/2. If A89 did score, his extra effort would result in Team B next snapping the ball on B's 42. I would be taking liberties with the truth if I said that the ruling in A.R. 6-3-2-V was a good ruling. [A.R. 6-3-2-II]