Catch me.
Champ Week
1. 4/8 @ A-48. From a scrimmage kick formation, A32 punts the ball to the B-7 where it hits B25 on the leg. As the ball rolls along the ground, B25 then kicks it at the B-4 to prevent Team A from recovering. The ball bounces into Team B’s end zone and over the end line.
RULING:
B, free kick, B-20, free kick timing (25), OR, B, 1/10, B-2, snap (25).
The natural result of the down is a safety, due to the kicking of the ball by B25 that causes the ball to travel out of bounds behind B’s goal line; 2 points for A, with a free kick by B from the B-20 to follow.
OR,
Team A accepts the penalty for the foul for illegally kicking the ball by B25, which is penalized ½ the distance to the goal from the spot of the foul (B-4), taking the ball to the B-2, where Team B will have 1/10.
2. 3/10 @ 50. Team A is in an illegal formation at the snap. A12’s forward pass is intercepted by B21 at the B-25, who advances ten yards and is tackled. B55 blocks A87 below the waist at the B-30 during B21’s run.
RULING:
B, 1/10, B-15, snap (25).
Because Team B was free of foul when they gained possession, they may invoke the “clean hands” provision, and keep the ball by declining the penalty for Team A’s illegal formation foul. Team A would then accept the 15-yard penalty for Team B’s foul for illegal blocking below the waist which would be penalized from the spot of the foul, where Team B will have 1/10.
Note: Team B could accept offsetting fouls and have the down repeated, but that would be unlikely.
3. 4/10 @ A-40. A90 punts from scrimmage kick formation and B44 catches the kick at the B-15. B44 returns the kick back to the B-29 and during the kick A80 is guilty of a personal foul at the 50.
RULING:
B, 1/10, B-44, snap (25).
The 15-yard penalty for A80’s personal foul may be penalized at the spot where the dead-ball belongs to Team B (B-29), taking the ball to the B-44, where Team B will have 1/10.
4. 4/10 @ A-40. A90 punts from scrimmage kick formation and B44 muffs the kick at the B-15 and the ball rolls back to B-5 where A88 dives on the ball and recovers it while down. During the kick A80 is guilty of a personal foul at the 50.
RULING:
A, 4/25, A-25, snap (25).
The 15-yard penalty for A80’s personal foul can only be penalized at the previous spot, with the down repeated, since it occurred during the kick play portion of the down, and Team B was NOT in possession at the dead-ball spot.
5. 2/10 @ A-35. A12 throws an illegal forward pass from beyond the line at the A-37 and Team B was in the neutral zone at the snap. B23 intercepts the pass at the 50 and B10 clips on the return at the A-30. B23 is tackled in the field of play at the A-20.
RULING:
A, 2/10, A-35, ready (25).
Because Team B committed a foul (offside) before gaining possession, all fouls offset, and the down is repeated at the previous spot. The game clock will start on the referee’s signal, since the down ended with the ball inbounds, and Team B will not next snap the ball.
6. 4/15 @ A-2. Punter A90 lines up with his left heel touching the end line at the snap and receives the ball while standing on his end line. B20 is lined up offside at the snap. A90’s punt is fair caught by B44 at the A-35.
RULING:
A, 4/15, A-2, snap (25).
Because Team B committed a foul (offside) before gaining possession, their foul is offset by A90’s foul for being out of bounds at the snap. The down is over when A90 receives the snap, since he is touching the ground out of bounds when he receives the snap, and the down is repeated at the previous spot.
I dispute the 'answer' ruling that the game clock should start on the "ready." 6-3-2-c governs this, and trumps administrative stoppages. The game clock should start on the snap, as after any down that is repeated following any type of apparent score.
7. 4/15 @ A-2. Punter A90 lines up with his left heel touching the end line at the snap and receives the ball while standing on his end line. A90’s punt is fair caught by B44 at the A-35.
RULING:
B, 1/10, A-30, snap (25).
The 5-yard penalty for A90’s foul for being out of bounds at the snap may be enforced at the spot where the dead-ball belongs to Team B (A-35), taking the ball to the A-30, where Team B will have 1/10.
Messed this one up.
Since A90 was touching the ground OB when he received the snap, the ball is dead, and the natural result of this down is a safety, 2 points for Team B, with a free kick by Team A from the A-20 to follow. Alternatively, Team B could elect to enforce the 5-yard (1/2 the distance) penalty for A90 being out of bounds at the snap, resulting in a repeat of 4th down by Team A from the A-1. In both cases, the game clock will start on the snap, due to the apparent score (safety) by Team B (with concurrence from S-B; curious, since they say 'ready' on play 6).
8. 1/10 @ B-40. A12’s legal forward pass is intercepted by B17 at the B-25. During the return, B17 taunts pursuing A55 at the A-11 before scoring a touchdown. After B17 crosses the goal line, he is shoved hard to the ground by A55 five yards into the end zone.
RULING:
B,1/10, A-13, snap (25).
The 15-yard penalty for B17’s live-ball unsportsmanlike conduct foul for taunting cancels the score, and is penalized from the spot of the foul, taking the ball to the A-26. The 15-yard penalty for A55’s dead-ball personal foul is the penalized ½ the distance to A’s goal line, taking the ball to the A-13, where Team B will have 1/10.
