MEMORANDUM
TO: Divisions I, II and III Supervisors of Football Officials, Conference
Commissioners and Head Football Coaches.
NCAA Football Rules Committee.
SUBJECT: NCAA Football Clarification and Play Situations Bulletin No. 2.
Attached with this memorandum are the second 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 SITUATIONSŃBULLETIN #2
1. On a kickoff at the Team A 30-yard line, kicker A45 punts the ball.
RULING: This is an illegal kick and the ball remains dead. The penalty for the dead-ball foul is enforced at the A-30. Team A will kick off at the A-25. (2-15-6, 6-1-2, 4-1-1)
2. Second and 12 at the Team A one-yard line. Quarterback A12 takes the snap and retreats into his end zone to attempt a draw play. When A12 is tackled with the ball in his possession, it is resting on the goal line with only the nose of the football in the field of play.
RULING: Safety. To avoid a safety, Team A must advance the entire ball out of the end zone. (8-5-1, A. R. 8-5-1-I)
3. Fourth and seven at the A-45. While the punt is in the air, B65 clips at the B-40. B22 muffs the kick at the B-10. At the B-8, to prevent Team A from recovering, B37 bats the ball into Team BŐs end zone. B80 recovers there and returns the ball to the B-18 where he is tackled.
RULING: Team BŐs ball, first and 10 at the B-10. The batting by B37 is backward and therefore legal. The foul by B65 is subject to postscrimmage-kick enforcement. Because the kick ends in Team BŐs end zone, the postscrimmage-kick spot (i.e., the basic spot) is the B-20. The penalty for B65Ős foul is beyond the basic spot, so it is enforced at the basic spot. (2-25-9-Exc.1, 2-25-11, 10-2-2-e-Exc. 3)
4. Second and 20 at the A-30. B17 tackles the ball carrier at the A-35 by grabbing and pulling the facemask. Team AŐs head coach is in the restricted area between the sideline and the coaching line or in the field of play, obscuring the view of the Line Judge covering the play. In response the Line Judge drops his flag. This is the first sideline infraction of the game.
RULING: First and 10 for Team A at the A-45. The penalty for the face mask foul is enforced (15 yards plus automatic first down), followed by the penalty for the sideline infraction, which is administered as a dead-ball foul. (9-1-2-q, 9-1-6)
5. After four periods the score is tied and the referee conducts a coin toss at the 50-yard line to obtain the captainsŐ options for the extra period.
RULING: The winner of the toss may choose to go on offense or defense, or select the end of the field to be used for both series of that extra period. The loser of the toss exercises the remaining option. (3-1-3-b)
6. Fourth and 20 at the A-45. Team A is in a scrimmage kick formation with A89 at the A-30, where he receives the long snap. Immediately following the snap, nose guard B77 grabs snapper A55 by the shoulder pads and pulls him forward, allowing linebacker B52 to shoot the gap in an attempt to block the kick. A89 starts into his kicking motion but, convinced that the kick will be blocked, does not kick and tries to advance. He is tackled at the A-43.
RULING: First and 10 for Team A at the B-40. B77Ős action is a personal foul against the snapper rather than defensive holding. When Team A is in a scrimmage kick formation, the defense may not initiate contact with the snapper until one second has elapsed following the snap. The fact that the ball was not kicked is irrelevant to this rule. Clock starts on the ready-for-play signal by the referee. (9-1-2-o, 3-2-5-a-1)
7. Fourth and 20 at the A-45. Team A is in a scrimmage kick formation with A89 at the A-30, where he receives the long snap. A22, serving as a personal protector for the punter, blocks an opponent below the waist at the A-38. A89 does not kick, runs with the ball, and is tackled at the A-49.
RULING: Team B takes over on downs, first and 10 at the A-49. A22Ős block is legal because the ball was not kicked. (9-1-2-e-4, 5-1-1-c)
8. Fourth and 10 at the A-45. Receiver B22 catches the punt at the B-25 and returns to the B-30 where he fumbles. During the return or while the ball is loose B56 blocks an opponent in the back at the B-40. A34 recovers the fumble at the B-30 and carries the ball across Team BŐs goal line.
RULING: Team A touchdown. The penalty is declined by rule. The block in the back is not a personal foul, and penalties of 5 and 10 yards do not carry over. (9-3-3-c, 10-2-2-g-1-b)
9. Fourth and 10 at the A-45. Receiver B22 muffs the punt at the B-20. To prevent the opponents from recovering the ball, B33 at the B-16 kicks the rolling ball backward; it goes into the end zone and over the end line.
RULING: The result of the play is a safety. Foul by B33 for illegally kicking the ball, thus imparting new impetus. The penalty is subject to postscrimmage-kick enforcement, with the B-20 as the postscrimmage-kick spot (i.e., the basic spot) since the kick ended in the end zone. If Team A accepts the penalty, Team B will have the ball, first and 10 at the B-8 following enforcement at the spot of the foul. (9-4-4, 8-7-2-b-1, 8-5-1-a, 2-25-9-Exc. 1, 2-25-11, 10-2-2-e-Exc. 3)
10. Fourth and goal at the B-4. Linebacker B56 starts from behind his goal line and is running forward when the ball is snapped. At the B-1 he leaps to try to block the kick. At the B-1 guard A68 blocks airborne B56, who then comes down and lands on teammate B79. The field goal attempt is successful.
RULING: Personal foul on B56 for leaping from beyond the neutral zone and landing on another player. Whether his opponent in initiates the contact is irrelevant to this rule. Team A may decline the penalty to take the result of the play (three points) or accept the penalty and have first and goal at the B-2. (9-1-2-n, 10-2-2-g-4)
11. Late in a quarter, Team A has second and seven at the A-35. Ball carrier A28 is tackled in the field of play after a gain of three yards. The officials stop the game clock because of a Team B injured player, with the clock reading (a) 1:25 or (b) 0:34.
RULING: See the interpretation in 2008 Play SituationsŃBulletin #1, Question 10, (a) By rule the play clock is set at 25 seconds. However, by interpretation the referee has discretion on the play clock setting and he retains the authority to have it set to 40 seconds if he deems this to be fair and appropriate. After the injured player has left the field, the referee signals to start the play clock and the game clock simultaneously. (3-2-4-c-4) (b) The play clock is turned off and the game clock started after the injured player has left the field.
12. Following penalties for two dead-ball fouls after a score, Team A kicks off from its 7-1/2 yard line. The kick goes out of bounds untouched.
RULING: Team B may put the ball in play either at Team AŐs 37-1/2 yard line or five yards beyond the out-of-bounds spot. The ball may not be re-kicked following a half-the-distance penalty. If Team B insists that the ball be re-kicked, the five-yard penalty will be enforced at the succeeding spot following the kickoff. (10-1-5, 10-2-2-g-3, 10-2-2-h)