COLLEGE FOOTBALL OFFICIATING, LLC 2012 CFO BI-WEEKLY RULES QUIZ 3-SOLUTIONS For each of the following select the correct answer. There is only ONE correct choice for each question. For any fouls that are not offset, assume that the penalty is accepted unless it is declined by rule. NOTE: References are to the NCAA 2012-13 Football Rules and Interpretations, in pdf form on this CFO web site. ************************************************************************ 1. Second and four at the A-30. Airborne eligible receiver A82 receives a legal forward pass at the A-35. As he receives the ball, A82 is contacted by B18 and first comes to the ground with the ball at the A-33, where the ball is declared dead. a. First and 10 at the A-35. b. Second and 1 at the A-33. REFERENCES: 5-1-3, AR 5-1-3-II COMMENTS: A82’s forward progress is at the point where he receives the ball and is contacted by the opponent. 2. Second and eight at the A-45. Thinking that the quarterback is going to throw a screen pass, tackle A73 goes downfield to the B-49. He then remembers that the pass is to be thrown deep, so he hustles back behind the scrimmage line before the pass is thrown. QB A12 is at the A-40 when he completes a forward pass to eligible A80 who catches the ball and steps out of bounds at the B-40. a. Legal play. b. A73 is flagged as an ineligible receiver downfield. If the penalty is accepted the down is repeated. c. A73 is flagged as an ineligible receiver downfield. The penalty includes loss of down. REFERENCES: 7-3-3, 7-3-10 COMMENTS: Once the ineligible receiver has gone more than three yards downfield he cannot avoid having committed a foul if a legal forward pass is thrown. Returning back to the line of scrimmage does not erase the foul. The penalty does not include loss of down. 3. Second quarter. Third down and four at the A-26. B79 is flagged for being in the neutral zone at the snap but he does not make contact with an opponent prior to the snap. B35 intercepts A12’s forward pass and is driven out of bounds at the A-48. When the ball is declared dead the game clock reads 1:45. Team A accepts the penalty. a. First and 10 for Team A at the A-31. Game clock starts on the snap. b. First and 10 for Team A at the A-31. Game clock starts on the Referee’s signal. REFERENCES: 3-3-2-d-3, 3-2-2-e-1 COMMENTS: Team A gains a first down by penalty. The change of possession has no effect on when the clock starts because Team B will not next snap the ball. The two- minute rule applies only to a Team A ball carrier going out of bounds. 4. Fourth and 10 at the A-5. Punter A27 is standing in his end zone when he punts. The ball crosses the neutral zone and strikes B38 in the helmet at the A-8. The ball then rebounds back into Team A’s end zone, where A27 recovers it and carries it to the A-10. a. First and 10 for Team A at the A-10. b. Touchback. First and 10 for Team A at the A-20. c. Safety. Team A will free kick at the A-20. d. Touchback. First and 10 for Team A at the A-25. REFERENCES: 6-3-6, 8-5-1-a, 8-7-2, AR 8-5-1-II COMMENTS: Because the ball has crossed the neutral zone it is dead when A27 recovers it. The ball is in Team A’s end zone due to the punt, and hence Team A is responsible. 5. First and 10 at the B-25. Team A commits an illegal shift on a play in which A34 carries the ball across Team B’s goal line for a touchdown. a. Repeat first down at the B-30. Game clock starts on the snap. b. Repeat first down at the B-30. Game clock starts on the Referee’s signal. REFERENCES: 3-3-2-c, 7-1-4-c COMMENTS: The clock starts on the snap because the result of the play is a score. 6. Third and 12 at the A-45. QB A12 drops back into the pocket to pass. At the A- 43 guard A67 is inside the blocking zone when he blocks defensive lineman B70 just above the ankles from the back. A12 completes the pass to eligible receiver A88 who is tackled inbounds at the B-40. a. Legal play. b. Clipping foul by A67. The 15-yard penalty is enforced at the spot of the foul. c. Clipping foul by A67. The 15-yard penalty is enforced at the previous spot. REFERENCES: 9-1-5-Exc. 1-a, 9-1-Penalty COMMENTS: Clipping below the knee is not allowed even inside the blocking zone. Because the foul takes place behind the neutral zone, enforcement is at the previous spot. 7. First and 10 at the B-40. Team A lines up with eight men on the line of scrimmage, all numbered legally. Before the snap, end A84 goes in motion from a standing position (no false start) and is five yards behind the neutral zone at the snap. QB A12 carries for a seven-yard gain before being driven out of bounds. a. Illegal formation for too many men on the line of scrimmage. b. Legal play. c. Illegal motion by A84. d. Illegal shift. REFERENCES: 7-1-4-b-2 COMMENTS: The motion man may not start from the line of scrimmage. 8. Team A punts on fourth and 12 at the A-25. Team A is flagged for an illegal shift. Receiver B28 signals and makes a fair catch at the B-40. During the kick B72 blocks below the waist at the B-45. a. Offsetting fouls—no option. b. If Team B refuses offsetting fouls the accepted penalty for blocking below the waist is enforced at the end of the kick, the B-40. c. If Team B refuses offsetting fouls the accepted penalty for blocking below the waist is enforced at the spot of the foul, the B-45. d. The initial option lies with Team A to accept or decline the penalty for the foul by B72. REFERENCES: 7-1-4-c, 9-1-6-b, 10-1-4-Exc. 2 COMMENTS: Team B’s foul is governed by postscrimmage kick enforcement, so Team B has the option of allowing or refusing offsetting fouls. The end of the kick is the basic spot. 9. Fourth and eight at Team B’s 40-yard line. Team A attempts a field goal. B38 touches the ball at Team B’s 10-yard line, and it then rolls into the end zone and over the end line. a. Touchback. First and 10 for Team B at the B-20. b. Touchback. First and 10 for Team B at the B-25. c. Not a touchback. First and 10 for Team B at the B-40. REFERENCES: 8-4-2-b, 8-6-1-a COMMENTS: Because Team B touched the ball beyond the neutral zone the result of the play is a touchback. 10 After A23 is the first to touch a punt beyond the neutral zone at the B-30, B45 recovers at the B-25. B45 fumbles at the B-35, and while the ball is loose B80 clips at the B-40. A39 recovers and carries the ball across Team B’s goal line. a. Fouls by A23 (illegal touching) and B80 (clipping). The fouls offset and the down is repeated. b. First and 10 for Team B at the B-30, the spot of the illegal touching. c. The touchdown counts and the clipping penalty is enforced either on the try or the succeeding kickoff. REFERENCES: 6-3-2, 10-2-5-a-1 COMMENTS: Clipping is a personal foul. Because it occurs during a touchdown play the penalty is carried over to the try or the kickoff. The illegal touching is erased by the accepted penalty. Rogers Redding Secretary-Rules Editor NCAA Football Rules Committee October 3, 2012 .