PRESEASON QUIZ #4 ANSWERS: June 15, 2000


1. RULING: A's ball, 2nd and 19, on A's 26. After once starting in motion in any direction (toward the ball in 1999), running in place is interpreted to mean still moving. The motion man must stop in order not to be in motion at the snap. A89 is legally in motion at the snap. He may not block below the waist toward the ball behind the neutral zone and within ten (five in 1999) yards beyond the neutral zone. If A89 halts three yards outside the tight end, he may (or may not) be considered more than seven yards from the middle offensive lineman.

2. RULING: Field goal. A's ball, free kick, on A's 35. The foul by B68 would have postscrimmage kick enforcement if the kick was unsuccessful. Team A must accept the three points. It is a live ball foul. To accept points on a successful field goal, Team A must decline Team B live ball fouls.

3. RULING: B's ball, 1st and goal, on A's 6. The kick has crossed the neutral zone. Team A commits an illegal touching violation if they touch the ball before a Team B player although illegal touching in A's end zone is ignored. Team B may always advance the ball. Team A may not advance the ball if they get possession since the kick has crossed the neutral zone.

4. RULING: Safety. A's ball, free kick, on A's 20. The pass is an illegal forward pass since the forward pass is thrown where no eligible Team A player has a reasonable opportunity to catch the pass. Illegal touching can occur only during a legal forward pass. Thus, Team A only commits one foul during the down. The penalty is enforced from the spot of the foul. COMMENT: Illegal touching and an illegal forward pass are mutually exclusive. If the call is intentional grounding, there cannot be illegal touching since illegal touching requires a legal forward pass. If the call is illegal touching, there cannot be an illegal forward pass since illegal touching implies that the pass was a legal forward pass.

5. RULING: A's ball, retry, on B's 8. The try will be replayed following enforcement of the illegal position penalty. The penalty for the dead ball foul is carried over to the kickoff or enforced at the start of an extra period. The same would be true for a live ball foul penalized as a dead ball foul.

6. RULING: A's ball, 1st and 10, on B's 45. Team A may accept the penalty for defensive pass interference or for the personal foul. In most cases, the penalty for the personal foul is the most advantageous. This may change as Team A approaches B's goal line where the half-the-distance provision is not applicable for defensive pass interference. The penalty for the personal foul carries an automatic first down in addition to the 15-yard penalty.

7. RULING: B's ball, 1st and 10, on B's 11. The foul by B21 carries a 15-yard penalty since B21 did not touch the ball and blocked or fouled an opponent after giving a valid, invalid or illegal signal for a fair catch during the down. The penalty would be 10 yards if B21 did not give a signal. The postscrimmage kick spot is B's 22.

8. RULING: Touchback. B's ball, 1st and 10, on B's 20. The clock will start on the snap. The ball is dead when it hits the pylon and is out of bounds in B's end zone. This is a touchback with Team A providing the impetus.

9. RULING: A's ball, 4th and 9, on B's 23. The clock will start on the ready for play. The penalty for an illegal forward pass when the passer is beyond the neutral zone is five yards from the spot of the pass and loss of down.

10. RULING: A's ball, 3rd and 2, on B's 41. The clock will start on the ready for play. The bat by B86 is legal since the ball is batted backward and the ball is not in an end zone. The result of the play is a fumble going out of bounds between the goal lines in advance of the fumble. The ball is returned to B's 41. The clock stops when the ball goes out of bounds. The clock starts on the snap when Team A fails to make a first down on fourth down.


Rom Gilbert
gilbertr@atlantic.net
June 13, 2000
(q-ps004a)