VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL

MEMORANDUM

November 12, 2008

TO:  Divisions I, II and III Supervisors of Football Officials, Conference
            Commissioners and Head Football Coaches.

FROM:   Rogers Redding, secretary-rules editor
   NCAA Football Rules Committee.

SUBJECT:  NCAA Football Clarification and Play Situations Bulletin No. 2.

Attached with this memorandum are the third set of play situations and several interpretations for the 2008 season.  The committee hopes these examples assist in the understanding of NCAA Football rules. Each play includes the ruling and a rule reference to assist.

If you have any questions, please contact Rogers Redding, secretary-rules editor of the NCAA Football Rules Committee, via e-mail at footballrules@ncaa.org.

RR:nkb

Attachment

cc:   NCAA Football Rules Committee
   Selected NCAA Staff Members

2008 PLAY SITUATIONS—BULLETIN #3

1.   Team A is in a scrimmage kick formation on fourth and 17 at the A-40.  As punter A22 runs to his right to execute a soccer-style kick, B55 blocks below the waist against personal protector A83 at the A-30.  When he punts the ball A22 is at the A-33 and well outside the right tackle.

RULING:  First and 10 for Team A at the B-45.  Foul by B55 for blocking below the waist during a down in which there is a scrimmage kick from a scrimmage kick formation.  Clock starts on the snap.  (2-15-10, 9-1-2-e-4, 3-2-5-a-1)

2.   Team A’s punt bounces high into the air and is untouched when it breaks the plane of Team B’s goal line.  A88 reaches across the goal line and bats the ball back into the field of play.  B22 recovers at the B-3 and returns to the B-15 where he fumbles.  A37 recovers the ball and returns to the B-12 where B66 tackles him by grasping and twisting his facemask.

RULING:  Team A’s ball, first and goal at the B-6.  By interpretation, Rule 5-2-4 takes precedence over Rule 6-3-11.  Team B is not awarded a touchback and Team A retains pos-session following the half-the-distance penalty for the facemask foul.  Clock starts on the snap.  (5-2-4, 6-3-11, 3-2-5-a-1)

3.   Team A kicks off from its 30-yard line.  When receiver B44 touches the ball he is standing at the B-5 with one foot contacting the sideline and the other foot in the field of play.  The ball never crosses the plane of the sideline.

RULING:  Team A foul, free kick out of bounds.  Team B may put the ball in play at the B-40 or have Team A re-kick from the 25-yard line.  (4-2-1-a, 4-2-3-a, 6-2-1)

4.   Fourth and 12 at the A-5.  Team A trails in the score 23-21 late in the fourth quarter.    QB A12 retreats into his end zone and throws what he intends to be a backward pass to A25 who is also in the end zone, but the pass is in fact forward.  Still in his end zone, A25 throws a forward pass toward flanker A88 at the A-15 where the pass falls incomplete.

RULING:  Team B may accept the penalty for a safety, or they may decline the penalty and have the ball next be put in play at the previous spot.  If Team B declines the penalty, the ball goes over on downs, and Team B will have first and goal at the A-5.  (7-3-2-c, 5-1-1-c, 7-3-7-c-Exc., 8-5-1-b)

5.  As Team A attempts an onside kick from the A-30, A22 touches the sideline at the A-35.  He recovers the untouched kick inbounds at the A-42.

RULING:  Foul by A22 for returning from out of bounds.  Team A is in legal possession of the ball when the down ends.  Team B’s only penalty option is to have Team A re-kick at the A-25 following the five-yard penalty.  (6-1-2-f)

6.   Team A attempts an onside kick from the A-30, and A22 is at the A-32 when the ball is kicked.  A66 is the first to touch the kick when it hits his foot at the A-38.  The ball is recovered by A27 at the A-42.

RULING:  Foul by A22 for being offside.  Illegal touching by A66.  Team B may exercise the illegal-touching privilege by putting the ball in play at the A-38, or they may accept the five-yard penalty and have Team A re-kick at the A-25.  The spot of the illegal touching is not an enforcement spot.  (6-1-2-a, 6-1-3, 6-1-8)

7.   On fourth down Team A snaps at the 50-yard line and punts.  At the B-25 the ball hits the leg of A34 and rolls away.  B22 dives for the ball but muffs it.  Anticipating a recovery, the Side Judge blows his whistle inadvertently when the ball is at the B-20.

RULING: A34 has committed illegal touching.  The inadvertent whistle causes the ball to become dead.  Team B may take the ball at B-25 or have the down replayed.  By interpretation the spirit of the rule requiring enforcement of a penalty for a foul on such a play extends to the illegal touching privilege.  In effect, illegal touching takes precedence over the inadvertent whistle.  (6-3-2-a, 4-1-2-b-3, 4-1-2-c)

8.   Early in the first quarter defensive back B37 intercepts a pass and returns it for a touchdown.  The Field Judge trailing the play drops his flag at the A-20 because he has to avoid Team B personnel who have come onto the field from the coaching box.  This is Team B’s first side-line interference infraction of the game.

RULING:  This is a live-ball foul that is administered as a dead-ball foul.  Team A may elect to have the five-yard penalty enforced on the try or the kickoff.  (9-1-6, 10-2-2-g-3)

9.   B25 intercepts a pass in the end zone.  While still in the end zone, he fumbles the ball which goes out of bounds at the B-2.  During the fumble either team fouls.

RULING:  The result of the play is a touchback since the out-of-bounds forward fumble means that the ball is returned to the spot of the fumble; the effect is as if the ball had never left the end zone.    The basic spot is thus the B-20.  The penalty for any foul by Team A is enforced at the B-20.  Penalties for fouls by Team B beyond the B-20 are enforced at the basic spot (the B-20), and those behind the B-20 are enforced at the spot of the foul.  (10-2-2-f, 7-2-4-b)

10.   Following penalty enforcement for a dead-ball foul after a try, Team A free kicks from the A-45.  The untouched kick goes out of bounds at Team B’s three-yard line.

RULING:  Foul for a free kick out of bounds.  Team B may have Team A re-kick from the A-40 following enforcement at the previous spot, or they may put the ball in play at the B-25.  (6-2-1)

11.   Fourth and 12 at the A-40.  Team A is in a scrimmage kick formation with A49 standing 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage.  When the snapper touches the ball, the Team A players on the line of scrimmage are numbered left to right as follows:  88, 79, 60, 50, 65, 42, and 90.  After all have been set for one second, A90 moves two steps backward (no false start) and takes a three-point stance in the backfield.  Simultaneously A28 moves from his wingback position up to the left side of the line of scrimmage and “covers up” A88.  All Team A players are set for one second when the deep snap goes to A49 who completes a forward pass to A42 who is tackled inbounds at the B-30.

RULING:  Foul at the snap for an illegal formation.  Fouls by A42 for being an ineligible receiver downfield and for illegally touching a legal forward pass.  Each carries a five-yard penalty from the previous spot.  Fourth and 17 at the A-35.  Clock starts on the ready.  (1-4-2-b, 7-3-10, 7-3-11)

12.   With 10 minutes remaining in the second quarter, the referee suspends the game due to security issues of crowd control.  He directs the teams to their team areas and gains security protection for the crew from game management personnel.  Following consultation among the referee, security personnel, and representatives of the two institutions, it is determined that the game cannot be resumed.

RULING:  Three options are available by rule:  resume the game at later date, terminate the game with a determined final score, or forfeit the game.  The option that takes effect shall be determined by conference policy if both institutions are members of the same conference.  If they are in different conferences, the directors of athletics (or their designees) of the two institutions must agree on one of the options.  This agreement will include determining the final score if the game is terminated.  If the game is forfeited with the offended team ahead, the final score is the score at the time of suspension of play.  If the offended team is behind, the final score is 1-0 in favor of the offended team.  (3-3-3, 8-1-2)