Football Test Question

[mrios73]

I'm not seeing straight after taking my TASO test.

Question: A10's onside kick is rolling free and untouched seven yards beyond Team A's free-kick restraining line when A2 blocks B3 in the front above the waist. A40 recovers the kick 12 yards beyond Team A's free-kick restraining line. The covering official rules that B3 initiated the contact.

Minus the last sentence. What is the correct ruling of this play?

I attached a picture of what I see in the TASO portal for my answer and what the listed correct answer is. Bonus points will be given to someone who can find Rule 9-1-3-c-2.

Am I missing something here?

[ElvisLives]

Another example of a poorly written question. The question states that that A2 blocked B3. By definition, blocking is an intentional act, which means A2 initiated his block. Perhaps B3 also initiated his block, but that does not absolve A2 of having made a block, and Team A players are not permitted to block opponents until they are eligible to touch the ball. And to have a misdirected rule reference is unacceptable.
If A2 was simply trying to run downfield, and making no intentional attempt to contact any B player when B3 blocked him, THAT would be no foul.

[Snapper]

I attached a picture of what I see in the TASO portal for my answer and what the listed correct answer is. Bonus points will be given to someone who can find Rule 9-1-3-c-2.

This is likely a typo and they probably meant:  9-3-3-c-2

It’s pretty easy to intoduce a typo in a long rule reference.

[ElvisLives]

Even if 9-3-3-c-2 was the intended reference, that reference doesn’t fit the question language. The question clearly states that A2 “blocks” B3. That is not ‘warding off.’ If the intent of the question was to demonstrate that a Team A player can make some level of self-defense contact with an opponent before he is eligible to touch the ball, then the question should have been written:

A10's onside kick from the A-40 is rolling free and untouched at the A-47 when B3 initiates a block on A2. In his attempt to move beyond Team B players in his pursuit of the ball, A2 contacts B3 from the front and above the waist with his hands and arms to reduce the impact of B3’s blocking action on him. A40 recovers the kick while ‘grounded’ at the B-48. The covering official rules that A2’s action was an attempt to ward off B3’s block.
Ruling: Legal action by both players.

[mrios73]

I was just frustrated by the intent of the question.

Are we being tested on the correct ruling of the play as written? Which is what I thought the point of these tests was.

OR are we given a situation and finding out the result of the play? I mean, I know if the official rules B3 blocks first, there is no foul on the play. But the question literally says "A blocks" (not wards) in the question when the ball is at 7 yards. 6-1-12 literally says "blocks" also.

I know most of these tests ask you to choose the "best" answer. The "best" answer for this question is the covering official not getting the ruling wrong. The next acceptable answer (to a point) is calling what you see. Which goes back to what are we being tested on?

And it's not like this question was from a new rule and was poorly worded in the last 2 months. Not sure when this particular rule came into effect. I'm guessing decades ago.

Sorry for the rant. I got a 98 on the test so I needed to rant a little. 

[Snapper]

I was just frustrated by the intent of the question.

I get what you’re saying.  I also get frustrated by tests and quizzes that aren’t as clear as they could be.  Or that throw a lot of extraneous numbers into the question, which are often IMO designed just to confuse.  I tend to rant a bit, too.

I’ve finally decided that it must be harder than it looks to consistently write clear questions that test rules and situations that are likely to happen.

[mrios73]

Indeed.

But I'm ready to go! 

[DallasStripes]

It’s pretty easy to introduce a typo in a long rule reference.

Yeah it's still unacceptable on a certification test, the results of which dictate individuals' abilities to work regular season and/or playoff games