Term
| On a free kick, K2 is beyond his free kick line before the ball is kicked. |
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Definition
| A dead ball foul. Play should be blown dead immediately. Penalize K 5 yards for encroachment and replay the free kick down. Clock starts when kick is legally touched. |
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Term
| 3rd - 10 for A from B's 30. Quarterback A1 drops back to pass from B's 48. He is tackled there by B3 who pulls him down by twisting his facemask. |
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Definition
| A live ball foul by the defense during a running play. Enforce from the basic spot--the end of the run and replay the down. Result will be A's ball, 3rd and 13 from B's 33. A common mistake here is to enforce the penalty from the previous spot even though the foul was committed during a running play. Remember...no pass was thrown. |
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Term
| A1 runs for a touchdown. During A's successful try for point by run, B2 is detected holding. After the try, B3 slugs A1. |
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Definition
| A live ball holding foul by B followed by a dead ball personal foul by B. Team A is awarded two points and the penalty for B's hold will be assessed on the succeeding kickoff. The dead ball personal foul will then be enforced from that succeeding spot. Team A will free kick from B's 35. Player B3 is disqualified. [Note: this is not a multiple foul.] |
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Term
| 4th - 10 for A on B's 25. A1 drops back to pass from B's 35 where he purposefully incompletes a pass to save loss of yardage. |
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Definition
| A live ball illegal forward pass (intentional grounding). Enforce from the spot of the pass (it's a running play since the foul took place during an illegal forward pass). The penalty also involves loss of down. The result, therefore is B's ball, 1st and 10 from B's 40. |
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Term
| K punts from R's 40 as time for the 2nd quarter expires. During R's runback, K's coach calls the linesman "...a fat #%&$." Ris tackled finally on K's 3-yard line. Linesman flags coach for unsportsmanlike conduct. |
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Definition
| K's coach's comments constitute a non-player unsportsmanlike conduct foul. This is treated as a dead ball foul. The half is over. The DBF will be enforced (15 yards) on the free kick that begins the third quarter. |
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Term
| During a run by A1, A2 is holding B2. Thereafter, a fumble by A1 is recovered by B3 who advances for a touchdown. While the ball was loose following A1's fumble, B3 clips A3. |
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Definition
| There are live ball fouls by each team during the down. Team B (the team in final possession) fouled while A's fumble was loose. This was prior to their gaining possession. They did not get the ball with clean hands. The result is a double foul. No consultation of the captains. Replay the down from the previous spot. |
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Term
| B1 intercepts A's pass in his own end zone. He tries to run it out but (a) is tackled while still behind the goal line, or (b) he fumbles and the ball rolls into the field of play and out of bounds at B's 3-yard line. During the run, B2 clips A2 on B's 4-yard line. |
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Definition
| First thing to note is that the run ended in B's end zone and Team A provided the force that took the ball across B's goal line. In (a) the result of the play is a touchback. In (b) the run ended in B's end zone even though it became dead out of bounds outside the field of play. In both situations, since the run ended in B's end zone, the basic spot of enforcement is B's 20-yard line. However, the foul was by the offense behind the basic spot. Therefore, enforce from the spot of the foul. B's ball, 1st and 10 from B's 2. |
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Term
1st -10 for A on the 50. A1 throws a forward pass to A2 for a 20 yard gain. While the pass was in flight A6 was holding B4 at A’s 43. |
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Definition
| A live ball holding foul against A6 during a loose ball play. Since the foul was by the offense behind the basic spot (the previous spot), the penalty is enforced ten yards from the spot of the foul. Result will be A’s ball, 1st and 27 from A’s 33. |
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Term
| 4th -2 for A on B's 25. A1 runs to B's 18 where he is tackled. After the ball is dead, B1 piles on A1. |
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Definition
| Team A has made the line to gain. They are awarded a new series, a first down. Penalize the dead ball foul against B1 half the distance to the goal. Result is A’s ball 1st and goal from B’s 9. |
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Term
| 4th -2 for A on B's 25. A1 runs to B's 18 where he is tackled. After the ball is dead, A1 charges into B1. |
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Definition
| Team A has made the line to gain. They are awarded a new series, a first down. Penalize the dead ball foul against A1, 15 yards from the succeeding spot. Line to gain is established after enforcement. Result is A’s ball, 1st and 10 from B’s 33. |
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Term
| 4th -10 for K on R's 40. At the snap, K is illegally in motion. K's punt is returned by R1 to R's 45. During R's run, R4 is detected holding on R's 25. |
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Definition
| Live ball fouls are committed by each team during the down. The team in final possession (R) had not fouled prior to gaining possession. They got the ball with clean hands. They may keep it provided they decline the penalty for K’s motion foul. Then penalize R4’s hold from the spot of the foul since it’s behind the basic spot (R’s 45). The result is R’s ball 1st and 10 from R’s 15. |
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Term
| 2nd - 8 for A from B's 40. Quarterback A1 drops back to pass. At midfield he is hit and fumbles. While the ball is rolling loose, B5 holds A4. A10 recovers the fumble at B’s 45. |
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Definition
| B’s hold took place during A1’s fumble behind the neutral zone, hence during a loose ball play. Enforce the penalty from the basic spot (previous spot). A’s ball 1st and 10 from B’s 30. |
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Term
| 3rd – Goal from B’s 5. A25 runs for a TD. During his run, B67 incidentally grabs A25’s face mask. |
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Definition
| Award Team A 6 points. Since B’s foul took place during a down in which their opponents scored a TD, They can either (a) penalize B from the succeeding spot in which case A’s try will be from B’s 1½, or (b) they can execute their try from B’s 3 (as usual) and bridge B’s foul over to the ensuing kickoff which will now take place from A’s 45. |
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Term
| 4th – 7 from R’s 18. While K’s successful field goal is in flight, R65 roughs holder K11. |
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Definition
| Choice for Team K: Either (a) accept the 3 points for the successful field goal and penalize R 15 yards on the succeeding kick off (K will kick from R’s 45) or (b) take the points off the board, penalize R’s roughing as a foul during a loose ball play, and K will play it 1 – G from R’s 9. |
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Term
| 2nd and 14 from A’s 35. A2 runs to midfield where he fumbles. While the ball is loose, A3 blocks B4 below the waist at B’s 45. A7 recovers the loose ball and is down at B’s 40. |
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Definition
| A’s block below the waist is a live ball foul during a running play. The basic spot of enforcement is the end of the run, i.e. the spot of A2’s fumble. In this case, the spot of the foul is beyond the basic spot. Therefore, enforcement of the penalty for A’s foul is 15 yards from basic spot. The result is A’s ball, 2nd and 14 from A’s 35. |
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Term
| 1st and 10 from midfield, Team A is illegally in motion at the snap. A4 runs to B’s 45 where he is tackled. During his run, A4 held B3 at B’s 40. |
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Definition
| Team A has committed two live ball fouls during the down—a multiple foul. B has the choice of accepting either penalty or none at all. If they accept the motion penalty (simultaneous with the snap), A will play 1st and 15 from A’s 45; if they accept the holding penalty, enforcement will be from the basic spot (end of the run). Team A will play 1st and 15 from A’s 45. Or B could decline both penalties and A will play 2nd and 5 from B’s 45 |
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Term
| 3rd and 15 from B’s 25. Team A commits an illegal shift at the snap. A1’s pass is intercepted by B2 at B’s 1. B2 takes it 99 yards for a TD. During his run, B3 clipped A8 in B’s end zone. |
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Definition
| There were live ball fouls by each team during the down. Team B got the ball with clean hands. They may keep it by declining the penalty for A’s shift. But be careful! If they do, the all-but-one principle dictates that the penalty for their clip will have the enforcement spot in B’s end zone, hence a safety. We must be sure to let B know that he can only avoid the safety by accepting the penalty for A’s shift. This will result in a double foul and a replay of the prior down. |
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Term
| On 2nd and 8 from B’s 45, A3 completes a pass to A10 who runs to B’s 35 where he is tackled. B2 roughed the passer on the play. |
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Definition
| The penalty for roughing the passer is a special enforcement that supersedes the all-but-one principle. It says that if the pass is completed and the dead ball spot is beyond the neutral zone, enforcement will be from the dead ball spot provided there has been no change of team possession. That’s the case here. The result is A’s ball, 1st and 10 from B’s 20. |
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Term
| Team A’s try for point by kick is good. During the down, B3 roughed the holder. |
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Definition
| Team A has two options here: (1) they can accept the penalty, take the point off the board, enforce half the distance to B’s goal and replay the try from B’s 1½, or (2) they can accept the point, and have the 15 yards enforced on the succeeding free kick. They will kick from B’s 45. |
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Term
| 2nd and 9 from A’s 3. QB A1 drops back to pass. In the end zone, B2 incidentally grabs his face mask and (a) then tackles him there, or (b) A1 fumbles the ball which rolls into the field of play where B3 recovers at A’s 3-yard line. |
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Definition
| Careful on this one…In (a), B2’s foul occurred during a running play. As a result, since it was A’s force that took the ball across the goal line, the basic spot is A’s goal line. Result will be A’s ball, 2nd and 7 from A’s 5. In (b), since A eventually fumbled the ball from behind the neutral zone, B’s face mask foul took place during a loose ball play. Hence, enforcement is from the previous spot. The result of the enforcement will be A’s ball, 2nd and 4 from A’s 8. |
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Term
| 3rd and 2 from A’s 40. A4 runs to B’s 45 where B5 grabs and twists his face mask. He keeps his feet and runs to B’s 16 where he is tackled. |
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Definition
| B5’s foul took place during a running play. The basic spot is the end of the run. Penalize the foul from there. Result is A’s ball 1st and goal from B’s 8. |
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Term
| After A1’s run for a first down, a new series is awarded and the referee blows the ready for play. Team A’s coach screams at the line judge that he’s “…an incompetent jerk.” The LJ flags him for unsportsmanlike conduct. |
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Definition
| Since the dead ball foul took place after the ready-for-play, the line to gain had already been established. Enforce 15 yards from the succeeding spot. Leave the line to gain fixed. The result is A’s ball 1st and 25. |
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Term
| Team K punts from midfield. R10 fields the punt at his 10-yard line and advances to his 25. During the kick, R14 holds K32 who is covering the kick at R’s 20. |
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Definition
| PSK enforcement. R’s ball 1-10 from R’s 5. The penalty is enforced from the end of the kick. |
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Term
| Team K punts from K’s 40. R25 gives an invalid signal at R’s 15. R25 muffs the kick which rolls forward and out of bounds at R’s 24. |
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Definition
| Scrimmage kick ends at R’s 24. R’s PSK foul occurred at his 15. Enforce from the spot of the foul since it is behind the PSK spot. Result is R, 1-10 from R’s 10. |
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Term
| Team K punts from K’s 45. During the kick, R45 holds K12 at R’s 25. The ball, untouched by R, is rolling loose at R’s 14 where K24 recovers it. |
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Definition
| PSK enforcement. Because of K’s first touching of the kick, K would not be entitled to put the ball in play from the succeeding spot if there was no foul. Enforce from the PSK spot since it is behind the spot of the foul. Result is R, 1-10 from R’s 7. |
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Term
| Team K punts from midfield. R24 signals for a fair catch at R’s 10. The ball goes over his head and into R’s end zone. Before the kick crosses R’s goal line, R24 blocks K11 at R’s 8-yard line who is attempting to down the ball close to the R’s goal line. |
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Definition
| Kick ended in R’s end zone—touchback. As a result the end of the kick (PSK spot) is prescribed to be R’s 20-yard line. R’s illegal block foul occurred at R’s 8 (behind the PSK spot). Enforce as a spot foul—R, 1-10 from R’s 4. |
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Term
| K’s ball 4th -9 from R’s 45. K is illegally in motion at the snap. K’s punt is caught by R15 at his 5 yard line. During the kick, R45 illegally blocks K in the back at R’s 2 yard line. |
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Definition
| Take your time on this one. Since R’s foul is otherwise subject to PSK enforcement, they can keep the ball after enforcement if they decline the penalty for K’s foul. Result: R’s ball 1-10 at R’s 1-yard line. But remember…R can choose not to decline the penalty for K’s foul. Then the result would be a double foul. K replays 4th down. This might be a better choice for R considering their field position if they decline K’s foul. Don’t forget to offer R that choice! |
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Term
| A3 breaks loose for a long TD run. At the 10 yardline, he turns and backpedals into the endzone, pointing at the defense with the ball held aloft. After he clearly crosses the goal line, B2 cleans his clock with a hard shoulder block. |
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Definition
| A3’s foul is for unsportsmanlike conduct during the play. The penalty for this foul may be enforced either from the succeeding spot (the spot of the try) or on the ensuing kickoff. It cannot however be bridged into an overtime period. B2’s late hit is a personal foul after the play, but prior to the initial RFP for the try. The TD counts. These penalties are enforced separately and in order of occurrence. As a result, there are four possible outcomes based upon Team B’s and Team A’s choices: (a) two outcomes result in no net yardage penalty, (b) one outcome results in the try from B’s 18 followed by a kickoff from B’s 40, and (c) the last outcome results in the try from B’s 1 ½ , followed by the kickoff from A’s 30. |
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Term
| 3rd – 8 from A’s 40. A10 throws a quick pass to wide receiver A88 who catches it at A’s 44. There he is immediately grabbed by the face mask (no twist or pull) but manages to escape. He circles back toward the other side of the field and is hit at A’s 38 where he fumbles. A12 recovers the ball at A’s 35. |
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Definition
| The natural tendency is to say that since the forward pass had ended, the face mask foul occurred during a running play. Therefore enforcement would be from the end of the run, i.e. the spot of A88’s fumble—A’s 38. But wait…what actually happened after the foul? The runner returned back behind the neutral zone and fumbled there. As a result, since the fumble occurred behind the neutral zone, the fumble and everything that preceded it is nothing more than one big loose ball play. So the correct enforcement is from A’s 40 (the previous spot) and results in it being A’s ball, 3rd – 3 from A’s 45. |
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