2025 S-B Pre-season Quiz 2

[ElvisLives]

Check me.
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1. 2/10 @ A-45. Team A leads by 2 points. After the Two-Minute Timeout in the 4th quarter, back A21 catches a swing pass at the A-42 and runs down to the B-47 and is tackled. After the ball is spotted but not yet ready for play, B55 is moving back to the line of scrimmage, looks to the sideline and then goes down injured at the B-30 and the clock is stopped at 1:10. Both teams have all timeouts remaining. Play clock?
RULING:
A, 2/10, A-45, snap (25).
Team B is charged with a team time out because of the injury. The game clock and play clock, then, are governed by the time out.

2. 2/10 @ A-45. Team A leads by 2 points. After the Two-Minute Timeout in the 4th quarter, back A21 catches a swing pass at the A-42 and runs down to the B-47 and is tackled. After the ball is spotted but not yet ready for play, B55 is moving back to the line of scrimmage, looks to the sideline and then goes down injured at the B-30 and the clock is stopped at 1:10. Both teams have no timeouts remaining. Play clock?
RULING:
A, 1/10, B-42, ready (40).
Team B is charged with a dead-ball Delay of Game Foul because they do not have a team time out available. Since there is no time out, the game and play clock are governed by the injury interruption (per interpretation by correspondence from the Sec Ed); thus, the play clock is set to 40-seconds and both clocks will start on the referee’s signal.

3. 3/5 @ B-20. Late in the game with the game clock running, Team A lines up to kick a game-tying field goal. The kick is blocked, never crosses the neutral zone, and holder A15 falls on the ball back at the B-25. When A15 falls on the ball, the clock reads 0:03 and then time expires on the game clock.
RULING:
A, 4/10, B-25, 0:03 (4), snap (25).
When A15 fell on the loose ball, the ball became dead. Even though the kicked ball failed to cross the neutral zone, this is still a legal scrimmage kick down, and, by 3-3-2-d-8, the game clock is to stop when the ball becomes dead. Because the kicked ball did not cross the neutral zone, Team A’s series was not broken, thus, Team A will next the ball for the next down of their series – 4th down. The play clock is set to 25-seconds and will start on the referee’s signal. The game clock shall be set to the time on the clock when the ball became dead (0:03), and, also by 3-3-2-d-8, the game clock will next start on the snap.

4. 1/10 @ A-40. Midway through the 3rd quarter, A12 drops deep in the pocket, and A77 legally blocks edge rusher B79. At the A-35, A77 stands over B79 and brandishes a weapon. A12 throws a pass that is complete to A88 at midfield, and he runs to the B-40 where he is pushed out of bounds.
RULING:
A, 1/25, A-25, ready (25).
A77 committed a live-ball foul for unsportsmanlike conduct. The 15-yard penalty is enforced at the previous spot, and the down is repeated. One foul is added to A77’s counter toward ejection.

5. Free Kick @ A-35. A98 kicks the ball high and B21 gives the “T” signal while the ball is in the air standing one yard in the endzone. B21 muffs the kick while standing in the endzone, the ball bounces forward and then he recovers the ball at the B-5. He runs to the B-20 where he is down.
RULING:
B, 1/10, B-2 1/2, snap (40 and running).
The ball becomes dead following possession by any player when a player of Team B makes a “T” signal during a free kick. B21 committed a dead-ball foul for delay of game by advancing the ball after recovering it. The 1/2 the distance penalty is enforced from the natural dead-ball spot (B-5), taking the ball to the B-2 ˝, where Team B will next snap the ball for a scrimmage series.

6. 4/10 @ A-45. Midway through the 4th quarter, Team A lines up in a punt formation and they have five interior linemen numbered 50 – 79. They initially line up in a scrimmage kick formation, but before the snap, back A44 shifts to a position five yards behind the snapper in the clear path from the snapper to the potential kicker. The ball is snapped to A44 who throws a legal forward pass to end A88 who catches the ball at the B-45 and runs out of bounds at the B-40.
RULING:
A, 1/10, B-40, ready (40 and running).
Although this is not a scrimmage kick formation, Team A has 5 linemen number 50-79. Thus, the formation and action are legal.

7. 1/10 @ B-40. Team A is down by 4 points and snaps the ball with 12 seconds remaining on the game clock in the 4th quarter. QB A12 initially can find no receiver open, but scrambles outside the tackle box and throws complete to A88 at the B-20 and he is downed at the B-10. The play ends with 6 seconds remaining. The defense participated with 12 players on the field.
RULING:
A, 1/5, B-35, snap (25).
Team B commits a foul for illegal substitution. The 5-yard penalty is enforced at the previous spot, and the down is repeated. By rule, Team A has the option to reset the game clock to the time when the ball was last snapped. The play clock is set to 25-seconds and will start on the referee’s signal, and the game clock will start on the snap.

8. 4/5 @ B-30. Team A lines up to kick a field goal midway through the 4th quarter. The holder and kicker are in place and the ball is snapped to holder A12. A12 hands the ball forward to wingback A44 swinging back around at the B-37. A44 runs to the B-23 where he is downed.
RULING:
A, 1/10, B-37, game clock continues to run (40 and running).
By rule, a player in position at the snap to hold for a potential place kick, with a potential kicker in place, may receive the snap with body part(s) other than hand or foot on the ground, and the ball remains alive, even if the kicker does not attempt to kick the ball. The ball may be kicked, passed, handed, or advanced.

[blindtxzebra]

Check me.
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1. 2/10 @ A-45. Team A leads by 2 points. After the Two-Minute Timeout in the 4th quarter, back A21 catches a swing pass at the A-42 and runs down to the B-47 and is tackled. After the ball is spotted but not yet ready for play, B55 is moving back to the line of scrimmage, looks to the sideline and then goes down injured at the B-30 and the clock is stopped at 1:10. Both teams have all timeouts remaining. Play clock?
RULING:
A, 2/10, A-45, snap (25).
Team B is charged with a team time out because of the injury. The game clock and play clock, then, are governed by the time out.

2. 2/10 @ A-45. Team A leads by 2 points. After the Two-Minute Timeout in the 4th quarter, back A21 catches a swing pass at the A-42 and runs down to the B-47 and is tackled. After the ball is spotted but not yet ready for play, B55 is moving back to the line of scrimmage, looks to the sideline and then goes down injured at the B-30 and the clock is stopped at 1:10. Both teams have no timeouts remaining. Play clock?
RULING:
A, 1/10, B-42, ready (40).
Team B is charged with a dead-ball Delay of Game Foul because they do not have a team time out available. Since there is no time out, the game and play clock are governed by the injury interruption (per interpretation by correspondence from the Sec Ed); thus, the play clock is set to 40-seconds and both clocks will start on the referee’s signal.

3. 3/5 @ B-20. Late in the game with the game clock running, Team A lines up to kick a game-tying field goal. The kick is blocked, never crosses the neutral zone, and holder A15 falls on the ball back at the B-25. When A15 falls on the ball, the clock reads 0:03 and then time expires on the game clock.
RULING:
A, 4/10, B-25, 0:03 (4), snap (25).
When A15 fell on the loose ball, the ball became dead. Even though the kicked ball failed to cross the neutral zone, this is still a legal scrimmage kick down, and, by 3-3-2-d-8, the game clock is to stop when the ball becomes dead. Because the kicked ball did not cross the neutral zone, Team A’s series was not broken, thus, Team A will next the ball for the next down of their series – 4th down. The play clock is set to 25-seconds and will start on the referee’s signal. The game clock shall be set to the time on the clock when the ball became dead (0:03), and, also by 3-3-2-d-8, the game clock will next start on the snap.

4. 1/10 @ A-40. Midway through the 3rd quarter, A12 drops deep in the pocket, and A77 legally blocks edge rusher B79. At the A-35, A77 stands over B79 and brandishes a weapon. A12 throws a pass that is complete to A88 at midfield, and he runs to the B-40 where he is pushed out of bounds.
RULING:
A, 1/25, A-25, ready (25).
A77 committed a live-ball foul for unsportsmanlike conduct. The 15-yard penalty is enforced at the previous spot, and the down is repeated. One foul is added to A77’s counter toward ejection.

5. Free Kick @ A-35. A98 kicks the ball high and B21 gives the “T” signal while the ball is in the air standing one yard in the endzone. B21 muffs the kick while standing in the endzone, the ball bounces forward and then he recovers the ball at the B-5. He runs to the B-20 where he is down.
RULING:
B, 1/10, B-2 1/2, snap (40 and running).
The ball becomes dead following possession by any player when a player of Team B makes a “T” signal during a free kick. B21 committed a dead-ball foul for delay of game by advancing the ball after recovering it. The 1/2 the distance penalty is enforced from the natural dead-ball spot (B-5), taking the ball to the B-2 ˝, where Team B will next snap the ball for a scrimmage series.

6. 4/10 @ A-45. Midway through the 4th quarter, Team A lines up in a punt formation and they have five interior linemen numbered 50 – 79. They initially line up in a scrimmage kick formation, but before the snap, back A44 shifts to a position five yards behind the snapper in the clear path from the snapper to the potential kicker. The ball is snapped to A44 who throws a legal forward pass to end A88 who catches the ball at the B-45 and runs out of bounds at the B-40.
RULING:
A, 1/10, B-40, ready (40 and running).
Although this is not a scrimmage kick formation, Team A has 5 linemen number 50-79. Thus, the formation and action are legal.

7. 1/10 @ B-40. Team A is down by 4 points and snaps the ball with 12 seconds remaining on the game clock in the 4th quarter. QB A12 initially can find no receiver open, but scrambles outside the tackle box and throws complete to A88 at the B-20 and he is downed at the B-10. The play ends with 6 seconds remaining. The defense participated with 12 players on the field.
RULING:
A, 1/5, B-35, snap (25).
Team B commits a foul for illegal substitution. The 5-yard penalty is enforced at the previous spot, and the down is repeated. By rule, Team A has the option to reset the game clock to the time when the ball was last snapped. The play clock is set to 25-seconds and will start on the referee’s signal, and the game clock will start on the snap.

8. 4/5 @ B-30. Team A lines up to kick a field goal midway through the 4th quarter. The holder and kicker are in place and the ball is snapped to holder A12. A12 hands the ball forward to wingback A44 swinging back around at the B-37. A44 runs to the B-23 where he is downed.
RULING:
A, 1/10, B-37, game clock continues to run (40 and running).
By rule, a player in position at the snap to hold for a potential place kick, with a potential kicker in place, may receive the snap with body part(s) other than hand or foot on the ground, and the ball remains alive, even if the kicker does not attempt to kick the ball. The ball may be kicked, passed, handed, or advanced.

5. I am putting that ball at the 5, no DOG foul. In your case though, the PC would be 25 and not 40.

7. Decline the penalty for the substitution foul, A 1/G at B-10. A has the option to reset the clock to 0:12 or leave it at 0:06.

[dammitbobby]

5. I am putting that ball at the 5, no DOG foul. In your case though, the PC would be 25 and not 40.

I don't like questions like this - the whole reason he ran to the 20, and was tackled, is because ostensibly officials didn't blow their whistles to kill the ball... if they did, and he still ran, for a strict interpretation of the rules, you could also have UNR/late hit on the tackler. I don't think anyone should be flagging either action, as long as whistle was blown. If it wasn't blown, have fun explaining to Team B's coach why you're making him give up 15 yards when there was no whistle.

[ElvisLives]

5. I am putting that ball at the 5, no DOG foul. In your case though, the PC would be 25 and not 40.

7. Decline the penalty for the substitution foul, A 1/G at B-10. A has the option to reset the clock to 0:12 or leave it at 0:06.

5. Do it how you coord wants, but I'm flagging' his hiney. But, yes, my play clock is wrong, if I penalize. The penalty completion governs the play clock = 25 seconds.

7. Another example of poorly vetted rule language. As currently presented, the language says that the officials WILL penalize the defense. That means no option. That may not be what they mean to say, but that is what they say. We simply don't know. So, by that, when we penalize, we have to go back to the previous spot, and repeat the down. Then it gives the offended team the option to restore the game clock to the time at the previous snap - or not. A mess.

[Stinterp]

1. The play would stand, so wouldn't it be A 3/2 from B-47, 1:10 (:25)?
5. Agree ball on the B-5, unless whistles were blowing and ignored, then flag him.
7. Decline the penalty for the substitution foul, A 1/G at B-10. A has the option to reset the clock to 0:12 or leave it at 0:06.
8. A 1/10 B-23, running

[blindtxzebra]

7. Another example of poorly vetted rule language. As currently presented, the language says that the officials WILL penalize the defense. That means no option. That may not be what they mean to say, but that is what they say. We simply don't know. So, by that, when we penalize, we have to go back to the previous spot, and repeat the down. Then it gives the offended team the option to restore the game clock to the time at the previous snap - or not. A mess.

7 was an Approved Ruling last year when this rule change was vetted.

[ElvisLives]

1. The play would stand, so wouldn't it be A 3/2 from B-47, 1:10 (:25)?
Of course. What was I thinking?

5. Agree ball on the B-5, unless whistles were blowing and ignored, then flag him.
I guess this is how we perceive the action differently. I am giving the crew the benefit of any question about their training and experience, and were signaling that the ball is dead, but this guy kept going, and the kicking team reacted by tackling him. Even if the kicking team didn’t react, if he manages to advance that far, he has delayed the game.

7. Decline the penalty for the substitution foul, A 1/G at B-10. A has the option to reset the clock to 0:12 or leave it at 0:06.
This is debatable. We’ll have to wait for the S-B answer and explanation.

8. A 1/10 B-23, running
Gee whiz. Yeah, it was late at night when I looked at these, but that’s no excuse. Yes, A, 1/10, B-23, game clock running (40 and running). I think I quickly looked at the description and saw “B-37” and thought that was the dead-ball spot.

[ElvisLives]

OK, I can now say, authoritatively, that Team A can decline the distance penalty for the Illegal Substitution foul (enforced at the previous spot), if they choose, but do, in fact, still have the ability to reset the game clock to the time that was on the clock when the ball was snapped for the down in which the Illegal Substitution occurred. The game clock will start on the snap.

Was at a meeting today with folks that had heard Shaw address this in a meeting yesterday.

[Morningrise]

do, in fact, still have the ability to reset the game clock to the time that was on the clock when the ball was snapped for the down in which the Illegal Substitution occurred. The game clock will start on the snap.

If the offended team elects NOT to restore time to the clock, do they still have the option of starting the clock on the RFP (as per normal penalty enforcement) vs. the snap (as per the preexisting 3-4-3)?

[ElvisLives]

If the offended team elects NOT to restore time to the clock, do they still have the option of starting the clock on the RFP (as per normal penalty enforcement) vs. the snap (as per the preexisting 3-4-3)?

I pondered that myself, but, considering the whole reason for this rule is to keep Team B from expending time on the game clock, why would Team A NOT accept the have the clock restored? Yes, there is a possibility, and that would be they are so far behind in score they just want to get the game over with. But, if that was the case, why would Team B feel compelled to use such an extreme tactic to burn time off the clock? (Yeah, there is no explaining how coaches think. I get that.)

[Morningrise]

The only situation I can think of is if Team A is trapped at their own A-5 and Team B puts fifteen guys on the field to prevent them from getting into field goal range, but Team A somehow gets past them and takes it all the way down to the B-1 with 0:15 remaining. Then Team A might say "Uh we no longer want the time back after all, and moreover, we want you to wind that sucker so we can kick the game-winner as time expires."

Or suppose the same play but the clock ends up at 0:04 - then Team A would still elect to keep the clock where it is, but this time they'd put it on the snap instead.

[ElvisLives]

The S-B answers tell us:

2. That I flat forgot about the 10-second subtraction. 

5. Apparently, we are to simply and completely ignore rule 6-5-2. Seems to be running along current societal preferences to not insist on accountability by those breaking rules/laws.

7. As was understood a few days ago, confirms that Team A may still have the game clock re-set to the time on the clock at the last snap, even if they decline the distance penalty for the illegal substitution (12 on the field & participating).