Rule 2: Definitions

Question 1

B1 attempts to catch a punt (no fair catch signal) that crosses the neutral
zone, strikes his shoulder (a muff) and bounces into the air. The ball does not touch the ground. Airborne A1 receives the ball in flight and first
returns to the ground out of bounds

Answer 1

RULING: Team B’s ball at the spot
where the ball crossed the sideline. First and 10.

Question 2

On third down, B1 blocks a Team A scrimmage kick that goes into the air
and does not cross the neutral zone. The ball does not touch the ground.
A1 jumps and grasps the ball in flight and first returns to the ground out
of bounds

Answer 2

RULING: Team B’s ball at the spot where the ball crossed the
sideline. First and 10 (Rule 6-3-7).

Question 3

Airborne A3 receives a pass at Team A’s 40-yard line. While still airborne,
he is contacted by B1 and comes to the ground out of bounds with the ball at Team A’s 37-yard line.

Answer 3

RULING: Incomplete pass (Rule 7-3-7-a)

Question 4

Receiver A88 is near the sideline, stretching to catch a legal forward pass. As A88 is going to the ground in the act of catching the pass, (a) A88
gains firm control of the ball with the toes down in bounds and falls out
of bounds, maintaining firm control; (b) A88 gains firm control of the ball
with toes down in bounds, bobbles the ball while airborne, regains firm
control before landing out of bounds and maintains firm control when
landing; (c) A88 gains firm control of the ball with toes down in bounds,
falls out of bounds and loses firm control of the ball when contacting the ground

Answer 4

RULING: (a) Catch by A88. (b) Incomplete pass. (c) Incomplete
pass

Question 5

During Team A’s punt from the A-20, receiver B44 points at the grounded
punt at midfield. As B44 points at the ball, (a) he keeps his hands below
his shoulders with no waving motion; (b) he keeps his hands below his
shoulders and has a waving motion; (c) he has his hands just above the
shoulders with no waving motion

Answer 5

RULING: Rule 2-8-3 states that any
waving motion that does not meet the criteria for a valid signal is an invalid
signal. Additionally, by interpretation the receiver is allowed to point at a
kick as long as his hands remain below the shoulder and there is no waving motion. Both (b) and (c) would be an Invalid Fair Catch Signal. In (a), this would not be considered a signal at all, and Team B would retain the right to recover the ball and advance.

Question 6

A punt is rolling along the ground near players A44 and B27 who are
engaged. (a) The ball bounces against the B27’s leg and is then recovered by
A55 at the B-35. (b) A44 blocks B27 into the ball which is then recovered
by A55 at the B-35.

Answer 6

RULING: (a) Team A’s ball, first and 10 at the B-35. The ball rolled into B27’s leg but A44’s contact did not cause him to touch the ball. Not forced touching. (b) Forced touching because the block by A44 caused B27 to touch the ball. Illegal touching by A55. Team B’s ball at that point.

Question 7

Team A’s untouched scrimmage kick strikes the ground in the field of play
and breaks the plane of Team B’s goal line. While the ball is in the air over the end zone, A81, who is either on the one-yard line or in the end zone, bats the ball into the field of play

Answer 7

RULING: Violation for illegal touching
(Rule 6-3-11). Team B may accept the result of the play or next snap the
ball at its 20-yard line (Exception: Rule 8-4-2-b).

Question 8

A free kick breaks the plane of Team B’s restraining line. While the ball is
in the air, A1, who is behind Team B’s restraining line, touches the ball.

Answer 8

RULING: Legal touching (Rule 6-1-3-b).

Question 9

On a free kick to start a game, the kicker uses the toe of a teammate for
a tee or builds a tee with a mound of dirt or sod.

Answer 9

RULING: Illegal kick. Dead-ball foul. Penalty—Five yards from the succeeding spot.

Question 10

After a Touchdown and successful 2 point try, Team A trails 24 – 22 with
0:55 left in the 4th quarter. Team A intends to try an on-side free kick from the A-35. Kicker A90 holds the ball as if he will attempt a drop kick. A-90 then tosses the ball up in the air and the ball bounces just behind Team A’s restraining line and then A90 kicks the ball after it bounces several feet into the air

Answer 10

RULING: Illegal Kick. Dead-ball foul. Penalty – Five yards from
the succeeding spot. This kick does not meet the requirements of a Drop
Kick as required in Rule 2-16-3. For a legal drop kick the kicker must drop
the ball and kick it as it touches the ground. Since Rule 2-16-6 only allows
a place kick or a drop kick for a kickoff, this kick is not a legal kick. The
penalty enforcement follows the current Approved Ruling 6-1-2, I.

Question 11

At the snap Team A has four linemen numbered between 50-79 and three
linemen numbered outside this range. A potential kicker is eight yards
deep but there is no potential holder

Answer 11

RULING: Illegal formation. Team
A is not in a scrimmage kick formation and does not have the required
number of linemen with proper jersey numbers.

Question 12

A1 intends to throw a forward pass, but B1 bats the ball from his hand
before A1’s hand starts forward.

Answer 12

RULING: Fumble (Rule 2-11-1).

Question 13

QB A12 throws a legal forward pass, and receiver A88 first touches the pass when the ball is 1 ½ yards beyond the neutral zone. The receiver’s back foot is not beyond the neutral zone

Answer 13

RULING: The legal forward pass has
crossed the neutral zone. Rule 2-19-3-a states that a pass has crossed the
neutral zone when it strikes anything beyond the neutral zone. By Rule
2-19-3-b, A88 as a player is not beyond the neutral zone. Nevertheless, by Rule 2-19-3-a the pass has crossed the neutral zone since it was beyond the neutral zone when A88 touched it. The guiding principle on a pass crossing the neutral zone is the location of the ball when it is first touched.

Question 14

Fourth and goal on Team B’s five-yard line. A55’s legal snap is muffed
by A12 and (a) any player of Team A recovers and advances the ball into
the end zone, or (b) a player of Team B recovers and advances the ball.

Answer 14

RULING: The snap is a backward pass and may be advanced by any
player. (a) Touchdown. Since this is a backward pass and not a fumble
there is no restriction on a Team A player recovering and advancing the
ball. (b) Ball continues in play.

Question 15

A player is disqualified for a targeting foul in the second half.

Answer 15

RULING:
The player is not allowed to play in the first half of his team’s next game.
However, he is allowed to participate in pregame warmups with his
team. He may not participate in the first half, but may remain in the
team area. (Rules 9-1-3 and -4)

Question 16

A player is disqualified for a targeting foul in the second half of his
team’s last game of the regular football season.

Answer 16

RULING: He is not allowed to play in the first half of his team’s next game, whenever that is. If the game is the final one of the regular season, he may not play the first half of any postseason game. If his team does not play a postseason game, he may not play in the first half of the first game of the following season (assuming he has eligibility remaining). (Rules 9-1-3 and -4)

Question 17

Player number 21 for the home team was disqualified late in the 3rd
quarter for Targeting and legally remains in the team area. Between the end of the 3rd quarter and the start of the 4th quarter, number 21 for the home team is flagged in the team area for Unsportsmanlike Conduct

Answer 17

RULING: Dead ball foul, 15-yard penalty from the succeeding spot.
Automatic first down for fouls by Team B if not in conflict with other
rules. Number 21 is ejected from the game and must leave the playing
enclosure. Any player that has been disqualified and is subsequently
penalized for Unsportsmanlike Conduct is automatically ejected

Question 18

A21 catches a forward pass with his knees on the ground. The passer is
roughed during the pass

Answer 18

RULING: A21’s catch started a running play, which ended immediately. Penalize 15 yards from the end of the run, first down for Team A.

Question 19

Third and 10. A21 catches a forward pass and fumbles when tackled after
gaining nine yards. The fumble is recovered by grounded A24 five yards in advance of the fumble. During the pass, the passer is roughed

Answer 19

RULING: Penalize 15 yards from the spot of recovery by A24 (end of last run), first down for Team A

Question 20

3/5 @ B-25. QB A12 is in shotgun formation. Center B5 legally starts the backward motion of the snap with a quick and continuous motion. During this backward motion (a) the ball slips from the snapper’s hands and is loose at the B-29 and B54 recovers the ball, or (b) the center clutches or pauses before releasing the ball and the ball subsequently slips from the snapper’s
hands and is loose at the B-29 and B54 recovers the ball.

Answer 20

(a) Legal Snap that becomes a backward pass. Team B’s ball, 1/10 @ B-29. (b) Team A dead-ball foul, illegal snap. Team A’s ball, 3/10 @ B-30. To be a legal snap, the ball must be handed or passed backward from its position on the ground with a quick and continuous motion and the ball leaving the snapper’s hands in this motion. If the ball, during the backward motion of
a legal snap, slips from the snapper’s hand, it becomes a backward pass, and the ball is in play. Any other action or motion by the snapper such as not releasing the ball, pausing, restarting, or breaking the continuous motion of the ball during the snap is considered an illegal snap.

Question 21

Free Kick @ A-35. The kickoff is high and deep, and deep receiver B21
gives the “T signal” as the kick is in flight. B21 catches the kick right at
the goal line and returns the kick back to the B-35

Answer 21

RULING: Team B will have 1/10 @ B-35. The “T signal”, if executed properly, is not considered a valid or invalid fair catch signal. It is important that the signal is executed properly and has no waiving motion, and the hands are extended straight out and remain at or below shoulder level. The “T signal” does not cause the ball to become dead and does not deprive the receiving team the opportunity to advance the ball.