2012 Official Casebook of the National Football League

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2012 Official Casebook of the National Football League 2012 OFFICIAL CASEBOOK OF THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE Devised, Amended, and Authenticated by the National Football League Roger Goodell, Commissioner Copyright © 2012 by the National Football League. All rights reserved. PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Order of Approved Rulings Rule 3–Definitions ....................................... ……….3 Rule 4–Game Timing ............................................. 6 Rule 5–Players, Substitutions, and Equipment .... 17 Rule 6–Free Kick ................................................. 21 Rule 7–Ball in Play, Dead Ball, Scrimmage ......... 26 Rule 8–Forward Pass, Backward Pass, Fumble .. 32 Rule 9–Scrimmage Kicks ..................................... 45 Rule 10–Fair Catch .............................................. 54 Rule 11–Scoring .................................................. 58 Rule 12–Player Conduct ...................................... 65 Rule 13–Non-Player Conduct .............................. 80 Rule 14–Penalty Enforcement ............................. 82 Rule 16–Overtime Procedures ........................... 102 2 RULE 3—DEFINITIONS A.R. 3.1 INTENTIONAL FUMBLE FORWARD—ILLEGAL FORWARD PASS Second-and-6 on A40. A1 runs to the A47 and pretends to fumble but throws the ball forward out of bounds. Seven minutes remain in the game. Ruling: A’s ball, third-and-4 on A42. The clock starts on the snap. (3-2-4-Note, 8-1-1-Note) A.R. 3.2 INTENTIONAL FUMBLE FORWARD—ILLEGAL FORWARD PASS Fourth-and-10 on B35. With 0:17 left in the game, and Team B ahead 21-20, A1 scrambles to the B21 and intentionally fumbles the ball forward to the B20 where it is recovered by B1 who returns it to the B22. Ruling: B’s ball, first-and-10 on B26. (This illegal forward pass is dead and incomplete when it hits the ground, but the five- yard penalty takes the ball back to a spot that is short of the line to gain. There is also a 10 second run-off (if Team B so chooses). The loss of down results in the ball going over to Team B on downs). (3-2-4-Note, 8-1-1-Note) A.R. 3.3 FUMBLE RECOVERY—FOURTH DOWN Fourth-and-6 on 50. Punter A1 is rushed and scrambles to the B45 where he is tackled and fumbles. The ball rolls to the B40 where A2 recovers. Ruling: B’s ball, first-and-10 on B45. (3-2-4, 8-7-5) A.R. 3.4 FUMBLE—OUT OF BOUNDS Third-and-4 on A35. A1 runs to the A41, is tackled near the sideline, and fumbles the ball. B1 gains control of the ball at the sideline at the A39 with one foot inbounds, and then his second foot hits out of bounds. Ruling: A’s ball, first-and-10 on A39. B1 did not possess the ball with two feet inbounds. The clock starts on the ready. (3-2-6, 3-2-7). A.R. 3.5 DOT THE I—COMPLETED CATCH Second-and-10 on A35. A1 throws a forward pass to A2 at the A47 sideline. While A2 is stretched out over the sideline, he controls the ball and “hangs” over the sideline with both feet contacting the ground inbounds, a) the first thing to hit the ground out of bounds is the point of the ball, but he retains possession, or b) as he lands on his shoulder out of bounds, he loses possession of the ball. Rulings: a) First-and-10 on A47. Completed catch. (3-2-7-Note 2) b) Third-and-10 on A35. Incomplete pass. (3-2-7-Note 2) A.R. 3.6 NO POSSESSION—LEGS Second-and-10 on B40. A1 runs with the ball to the B30 where he fumbles. In the scramble for the loose ball, B1 ends up on the ground with the ball securely held between his legs, although his hands/arms are not controlling the ball. A2 reaches down and pulls the ball from B2 and runs for a touchdown. Ruling: Touchdown. Kickoff A35. Possession requires control with the hands or arms. (3-2-7) A.R. 3.7 NO INTERCEPTION—FORCE OUT First-and-10 on A30. A1 throws a pass for A2 near the sideline at the 50. B1 leaps near the sideline to intercept, controls the ball, and comes down with one foot inbounds. His second foot would have come down inbounds, but A2 shoves him out of bounds. Ruling: Second-and-10 on A30. Incomplete pass. (3-2-6, 8-1-3) A.R. 3.8 CHUCK—LEGAL—OUT OF THE POCKET Third-and-4 on B35. Tight end A2 goes downfield and is chucked by defender B1 at the B3 as quarterback A1 is directly behind the original position of the tight end. The pass is complete to eligible A3 who is downed at the B32. Ruling: Fourth-and-1 on B32. No foul by B1, as the quarterback was out of the pocket. (3-4, 12-1-6-Note 1) A.R. 3.9 DISQUALIFICATION In the third quarter, A2 is disqualified from the game for slugging. The Referee properly advises the head coach that the player must be removed from the bench area. Near the end of the third quarter, the Referee notices the player in street clothes in the bench area after having been told to leave. Ruling: Fifteen-yard penalty for Unsportsmanlike Conduct, and the disqualified player is removed from the playing area. (3-6) A.R. 3.10 FAIR-CATCH SIGNAL—BEHIND THE LINE Fourth-and-7 on A40. A1’s punt is blocked and it goes straight up in the air behind the line of scrimmage. B1 signals for a fair catch on the A36 and is tackled immediately by A3. Ruling: B’s ball, first-and-10 on A36. No foul by A3 since a fair catch cannot occur behind the line of scrimmage. (3-9) A.R. 3.11 TOUCHDOWN—DEAD-BALL FOUL Second-and-goal on B2. After A3 scores a touchdown, A4 clips B1 in the end zone. Ruling: Touchdown. Kickoff A20. (3-11-1-Exc.) 3 A.R. 3.12 DEAD-BALL FOUL—AFTER FIRST DOWN MADE Second-and-6 on A38. A1 runs to the 50 and is tackled. Immediately after the whistle blows, A3 clips B4 at the A48. Ruling: First-and-10 on A35. A dead-ball foul is enforced from the succeeding spot. However, A made the line to gain, thus it is a first down after a 15-yard penalty. (3-11-2-a, 14-1-7) A.R. 3.13 IMPETUS—TOUCHBACK Third-and-6 on B24. B1 intercepts a pass in his end zone and attempts to run it out. He is tackled in the end zone and fumbles the ball out of bounds over the end line. Ruling: B’s ball, first-and-10 on B20. Touchback. (3-15-3) A.R. 3.14 IMPETUS—TOUCHBACK Fourth-and-5 on A44. A1 punts and the ball is nearly at rest when A2 blocks B3 (high) into the ball (new impetus). B3 was not attempting to block or recover the ball. The ball goes into the end zone where A3 falls on it. Ruling: B’s ball, first-and-10 on B20. Touchback. (3-15-3-Note, 9-2-4.) A.R. 3.15 IMPETUS—BLOCKED PUNT—END ZONE Fourth-and-10 on A7. A’s punt is blocked by B1. B2 muffs the ball at the A10, and the ball rebounds into A’s end zone where: a) A2 falls on the ball; b) A3 and B3 simultaneously recover the ball; c) the ball rolls over the end line. Rulings: a) Safety. (3-15-3) b) Touchdown. (11-2-1, 3-15-3) c) Safety. (3-15-3, 11-5-1) NOTE: If A had recovered in the field of play, it would have been A’s ball, first-and-10. A.R. 3.15.a LEGAL BAT BY TEAM B ON PUNT Fourth-and-10 on 50. A1's punt is rolling on the B10 when B1 bats the ball backward out of the back of the end zone. At the time of the bat, the rolling punt was a) nearly at rest, or b) still rolling toward the side line (not nearly at rest). Rulings: a) Safety B, Safety Kick B20. b) B's ball, first-and-10 on B20. Touchback. (3-15-3) Note: The bat is legal in both a) and b), and therefore, the impetus does not change unless the ball is at rest or nearly at rest. A.R. 3.16 PYLON—GOAL LINE 1 Third-and-goal on B3. A1 runs and hits the pylon with his body as the ball is in his right arm at the B ⁄2-yard line and he continues into the end zone without going out of bounds. Ruling: Touchdown. Kickoff A35. (3-21-1-b) A.R. 3.17 PYLON—GOAL LINE EXTENDED Second-and-goal on B5. A2, running to his right, is contacted by B2, and as he is going down at the B1, he dives toward the pylon. The ball is held in his right hand extended over the out of bounds area but beyond the extended goal line, when his chest hits: a) the ground, just short of the goal line (A2’s chest is the first thing to hit the ground), b) the pylon, after which he 1 lands out of bounds beyond the goal line extended, or c) the ground in the end zone. The ball crossed the sideline at the B ⁄2- yard line, but it never went over the top of the pylon. 1 Rulings: a) Third-and-goal on B ⁄2. Since the runner was down short of the goal line, the ball must break the goal-line plane, hit the pylon, or go over the top of the pylon for a touchdown.
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