2006 PRESEASON EXAM

ANSWERS 21 to 40


21. RULING: B 1/10 A25. DQ. The penalty is no longer enforced to start the next series due to the change in 3-1-3-g-1. A score by the team committing a foul during the down is canceled.

22. RULING: Touchdown. A try B1-1/2. The distance penalty may be penalized on the try or the succeeding kickoff. Since there is no succeeding kickoff in extra periods, the penalty may be enforced on the try or declined.

23. RULING: A 1/10 B12. DQ. Postscrimmage kick enforcement does not apply in extra periods nor during a try at any time. It also no longer applies on a successful field goal during regulation play. The 15-yard penalty is enforced half the distance from the previous spot, B's 24, and carries a first down.

24. RULING: A 1/goal B5. Asssume extra period. Postscrimmage kick enforcement does not apply in extra periods nor during a try at any time. It no longer applies on a successful field goal during regulation play. The 15-yard penalty is enforced half the distance from the previous spot, B's 10, and carries a first down. If Team A accepts the three points, they decline the penalty for Team B's live ball foul.

25. RULING: A 2/6 A42. Ready. Team B commits a holding foul behind the neutral zone. The 10-yard penalty is enforced from the previous spot, A's 32. The penalty does not carry a first down since the legal forward pass did not cross the neutral zone although the foul was against an eligible receiver. The clock was stopped to award a first down to Team B.

26. RULING: A 2/10 A1. Snap. The result of the play is an incomplete legal forward pass. The passer was outside the normal tackle position and the ball landed beyond the neutral zone. If ineligibles were downfield, the penalty would most likely be declined.

27. RULING: A 3/20 A30. Ready. The illegal forward pass was thrown to conserve time. The penalty is five yards from the spot of the pass, A's 35, and carries a loss of down. The clock starts on the ready because the illegal pass was thrown to conserve time.

28. RULING: More information required. Ready. A Team A ineligible player may contact an opponent not more than a yard beyond the neutral zone and continue contact up to three yards beyond the neutral zone. An eligible receiver is not included unless both players charge each other. If the contact occurred near the neutral zone, it is likely that both players initiated contact. However, if the tight end fired out and contacted the defender about a yard beyond the neutral zone, it would likely be offensive pass interference. Any contact in between is left as an exercise for the student.

29. RULING: A 1/10 A42. Ready. Team A will give up the two extra yards obtained in the result of the play. The 15-yard penalty is enforced from the previous spot, A's 27. The penalty carries a first down since the foul was a personal foul. The clock was stopped to complete a penalty. The clock would also have started on the ready if this was a fourth down play.

30. RULING: A 4/5 A43. Snap. Team B will decline the 15-yard penalty for the illegal block below the waist. It would have been enforced from the previous spot. The ball would next be snapped from A's 28 whether Team B accepts or declines the penalty for intentional grounding. The 15-yard penalty for the unsportsmanlike dead ball foul is enforced from the succeeding spot, A' 28. The clock was stopped for the incomplete pass to save loss of yardage.

31. RULING: A 1/10 B13. Ready. When the rule was changed in 1999, this was then considered a change of team possession at the end of the down by rule. Last season, there was an interpretation change. Quoting a knowledgeable individual, "If team possession changed DURING THE DOWN, then where and when DURING THE DOWN did Team B have possession of the ball". The last known interpretation is that the 15-yard penalty is enforced half the distance from the previous spot. The clock was stopped to award Team B a first down after the touchback.

32. RULING: A 1/10 B12. Ready. The wide receiver did not foul since he did not touch the legal forward pass. The Team B defender did not foul because he legally contacted an ineligible receiver. The clock was stopped to award a first down to Team A.

33. RULING: A 1/10 B13. Snap. The foul was against an eligible receiver. The legal forward pass crossed the neutral zone. Therefore, the five yard penalty is enforced from the previous spot, B's 18, and carries a first down.

34. RULING: A 1/10 B13. Ready. There was a change of team possession during the down. Therefore, the 15-yard penalty is enforced half the distance from the previous spot, B's 26, and carries a first down. The clock was stopped to award a first down to Team B.

35. RULING: A 1/10 B14. Ready. The foul is simply a personal foul and not a roughing the passer foul since the passer is no longer a passer when the pass ends (complete, incomplete or intercepted). The foul occurred while the tight end was a runner. The 15-yard penalty is enforced from the end of his run, B's 28. The ruling would be the same if the fumble was recovered by the slot back while grounded behind the end of the run.

36. RULING: Touchback. B 1/10 B20. Ready. The Team A lineman added new impetus and also committed an illegal batting foul. This new impetus supersedes the momentum rule. The touchback is more advantageous. The 15-yard penalty would be enforced from Team B's goal line since the run ended in Team B's end zone. The clock was stopped to award a first down to Team B.

37. RULING: A 4/4 B24. Ready. Team A did not make a first down on fourth down so will accept the penalty. The 5-yard penalty is enforced from the previous spot, B's 29. The foul satisfies all of the requirements of the penalty carrying a first down. However, the rules editor has ruled (last known interpretation) that the QB is a runner at the time of the foul and that the first down provision does not apply. The clock was stopped to award a first down to Team B. The period is not extended if time expires before the ball is snapped.

38. RULING: A 1/10 B29. Ready. There was no change of team possession during the down. The 15-yard penalty will be enforced from the end of the last run, B's 44, since that run ended beyond the neutral zone. The clock was stopped to award a first down to Team A.

39. RULING: B 1/10 B3. Ready. Forward progress applies since the direction of movement was toward the opponent's end line. The ball became dead on B's 3. The clock was stopped to award a first down to Team B.

40. RULING: A 4/7 A33. Ready. The Team B player committed a dead ball foul. The 15-yard penalty is enforced from the succeeding spot, A's 18. The clock was stopped to complete a penalty.


Rom Gilbert / gilbertr@atlantic.net / July 16, 2006 / (ccb06040)