Wedge question - are any double-team blocks now a foul?

[Archie]

So, if the receivers try to double-team block a kicking team man, do we have a 15-yard foul (unless the kick is a touchback, goes OOB or gets a fair catch)?
The statement of the penalty, says "Noncontact foul". What does this mean (I don't see that term used anywhere else in the book)? Perhaps it means that just getting the blockers shoulder to shoulder is the foul, regardless whether they actually team up to block a gunner. This will mean that the BJ, U and CJ will have to look for potential double-teams...

 

[ElvisLives]

So, if the receivers try to double-team block a kicking team man, do we have a 15-yard foul (unless the kick is a touchback, goes OOB or gets a fair catch)?
The statement of the penalty, says "Noncontact foul". What does this mean (I don't see that term used anywhere else in the book)? Perhaps it means that just getting the blockers shoulder to shoulder is the foul, regardless whether they actually team up to block a gunner. This will mean that the BJ, U and CJ will have to look for potential double-teams...

Archie,
It is a foul simply to form the wedge.  Contact with an opponent is not required.  It is called a Non-contact foul because the wedge would, technically, be formed - and be a foul - before contact is made, and it distinguishes this foul from an unsportsmanlike conduct foul, so it does NOT count against the players' with regard to their UNS counter toward DQ.
I recall in my FBS days, when the three-man wedge became illegal, the R's had primary responsibility for the wedge, because it tended to happen just ahead of the receiver.  The H & L had starting the clock duty, so the R didn't have to be concerned with that, and the H & L didn't have to be concerned with wedge blocks.  Can't say if that has changed, but can't imagine why it would have changed.  You are not nearly as likely to see wedge blocking as the play develops down the field.

Robert

[ElvisLives]

Oh, forgot to mention, NO FOUL if the result of the play is a touchback, or if the kicked ball goes out of bounds, or if there is a fair catch.  Mechanically, Mr. R, you can 'hold' on throwing until the ball is in runback, or throw and then pick up, with a 'never mind' announcement, in those no foul events.  Me, personally, I will probably 'hold' until the ball is in runback.  CFO coordinators might want their R's to throw, then pick up, to know their R's saw the action, and consciously (and correctly) rescinded the call.  Do what your coord wants.

Robert

[Rob S]

A double-team block doesn't make it a foul, it's the aligning that is.

If one player initiates a block and then another comes and joins after in a double-team, that's not a wedge or a foul.

[Archie]

OK...but if the two blockers are aligned ready to take on the kickoff gunner, then there is the 15 yard wedge foul (assuming no touchback, KOB or fair catch). If the second blocker comes in after contact by the first blocker, then no wedge foul.

[Morningrise]

Don't forget this wedge penalty has a weird enforcement.

1. Free kick @ A-35. B11 and B22 form a wedge at the B-20. B33 catches the kick at the B-6 and fumbles at the B-10. B44 recovers the ball and is eventually tackled at the B-30.

2. Free kick @ A-35. B11 and B22 form a wedge at the B-20. B33 catches the kick at the B-6 and fumbles at the B-10. B44 recovers the ball while grounded at the B-12.

3. Free kick @ A-35. B11 and B22 form a wedge at the B-20. B33 catches the kick at the B-6 and advances to the A-8 where he fumbles. A55 recovers the fumble at the A-3 and retreats (no momentum) into A's end zone where he is tackled.

and for good measure, here's another different weird enforcement.

4. Free kick @ A-35. B11 makes a fair catch signal at the B-20, then blocks A66. B33 catches the kick at the B-6.

[ElvisLives]

Don't forget this wedge penalty has a weird enforcement.

1. Free kick @ A-35. B11 and B22 form a wedge at the B-20. B33 catches the kick at the B-6 and fumbles at the B-10. B44 recovers the ball and is eventually tackled at the B-30.

2. Free kick @ A-35. B11 and B22 form a wedge at the B-20. B33 catches the kick at the B-6 and fumbles at the B-10. B44 recovers the ball while grounded at the B-12.

3. Free kick @ A-35. B11 and B22 form a wedge at the B-20. B33 catches the kick at the B-6 and advances to the A-8 where he fumbles. A55 recovers the fumble at the A-3 and retreats (no momentum) into A's end zone where he is tackled.

and for good measure, here's another different weird enforcement.

4. Free kick @ A-35. B11 makes a fair catch signal at the B-20, then blocks A66. B33 catches the kick at the B-6.

I’m not sure ‘wierd’ is the right word.  Different than usual 3-and-1 enforcement, yes.

For 1, the spot of the illegal wedge foul is behind the spot where the dead ball belongs to Team B, so the penalty is enforced from the spot of the foul, 1/2 the distance.

For 2, the spot of the illegal wedge foul is beyond the spot where the dead ball belongs to Team B, so the penalty is enforced from the dead-ball spot, 1/2 the distance.

For 3, the dead ball belongs to Team A, so, if accepted, the penalty for the illegal wedge foul is enforced from the previous spot, and the free kick is repeated.  And, in this case, Team A will surely accept the penalty to avoid the safety.

For 4, the penalty for the illegal block after making a fair catch signal (valid or invalid) is enforced from the spot of the foul.  If the dead-ball spot is behind the spot where the penalty would leave the ball, Team A will just decline the penalty (as in this case).

[TXMike]

The CFO Rule Change video explains it pretty well.  And includes video examples .

[SCline]

I am not a CFO. If a team performs a wedge, the wedge contacts a kicking team player but then the ball goes out of bounds, there’s no foul?

[TXMike]

touchback, OOB, or fair catch    No Foul

[Sonofanump]

Any other conferences switch to watching return players now for the front 4/5 officials instead of the kicking players?

[ElvisLives]

Any other conferences switch to watching return players now for the front 4/5 officials instead of the kicking players?

Now you’ve got me started.
Again, back in my FBS days, when I was on the sideline, we were initially told to ‘key’ certain kicking team players.  But I/we figured out fairly quickly that, on deep kicks, kicking team players don’t tend to commit fouls - receiving players do.  About the only thing that a kicking team guy does is go out of bounds voluntarily.
So, we started keying small groups of receiving team players, and it became infinitely easier to see the “threat” players, and see a foul when it happens.
That was back in the mid-2000s.  I was certain the CCA manual would get adjusted to this concept of keying receiving team players, but I haven’t seen that happen.

Keep on pushin’.

Robert