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Football Officiating => NCAA Discussion => Topic started by: #92 on December 01, 2015, 05:43:37 AM

Title: "Status" of the ball
Post by: #92 on December 01, 2015, 05:43:37 AM
Rule 9-4-4 reads:
Quote
A player shall not kick a loose ball, a forward pass or a ball being held for a place kick by an opponent. These illegal acts do not change the status of the loose ball or forward pass; but if the player holding the ball for a place kick loses possession during a scrimmage down, it is a fumble and a loose ball; if during a free kick, the ball remains dead (A.R. 8-7-2-IV and A. R. 9-4-1-XI).
However, I don't know what is meant with the "status" of the ball. I don't seem to find it in the definitions.

Do they mean "fumble", "backward pass", "forward pass", "scrimmage kick" and "free kick" as being the statusses? "Muff" then being not one of these statusses, as you can muff all of those balls.
Title: Re: "Status" of the ball
Post by: NVFOA_Ump on December 01, 2015, 07:04:34 AM
Do they mean "fumble", "backward pass", "forward pass", "scrimmage kick" and "free kick" as being the statusses? "Muff" then being not one of these statusses, as you can muff all of those balls.

Yes , status of a loose ball in this context is simply how the ball is defined in rule 2.2.3:
 
Loose Ball

ARTICLE 3. a. A loose ball is a live ball not in player possession during:
1.   A running play.
2.   A scrimmage or free kick before possession is gained or regained or the ball is
dead by rule.
3.   The interval after a legal forward pass is touched and before it becomes
complete, incomplete or intercepted. This interval is during a forward pass
play, and any player eligible to touch the ball may bat it in any direction.
b.   All players are eligible to touch, catch or recover a fumble (Exceptions: Rules 7-2-
2-a-Exc.2 and 8-3-2-d-5) or a backward pass.
c. Eligibility to touch a kick is governed by kick rules (Rule 6).
d. Eligibility to touch a forward pass is governed by pass rules (Rule 7).
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some common loose balls are:

1.  fumble - loose ball after being fumbled by a runner
2.  pass - a ball that has been intentionally passed (forward or backward) and is not yet in possession or dead by rule
3.  kick - a ball that has been legally kicked
Title: Re: "Status" of the ball
Post by: Etref on December 01, 2015, 07:29:59 AM
Or in player possession
Title: Re: "Status" of the ball
Post by: #92 on December 01, 2015, 09:45:22 AM
"Loose ball" not being a status, right?
Title: Re: "Status" of the ball
Post by: Etref on December 01, 2015, 10:37:21 AM
Muff is only an adjective

muff a pass
muff a kick

Title: Re: "Status" of the ball
Post by: NVFOA_Ump on December 01, 2015, 01:27:39 PM
"Loose ball" not being a status, right?

Loose ball is part of the status. The remaining terms fumble, pass, or kick describe the type of loose ball which determines which set of rules apply to touching, recovery, advancing after recovery, etc.
Title: Re: "Status" of the ball
Post by: Andrew McCarthy on December 01, 2015, 01:43:54 PM
Muff is only an adjective

muff a pass
muff a kick

Sounds like a verb.
Title: Re: "Status" of the ball
Post by: Etref on December 01, 2015, 05:56:26 PM
Sounds like a verb.

But it cannot impart action!
A pass is a pass
A kick is a kick
Title: Re: "Status" of the ball
Post by: Legacy Zebra on December 01, 2015, 06:07:53 PM
It's both, depending on how you use it. A player can muff (verb) a kick. It is then a muffed (adjective) kick.