The NFHS made an unforced error with this rule change. I’m also surprised at how many knowledgeable officials misinterpret this one. The "end of the last run" doesn’t apply anymore, but the principle is important enough to discuss.
There is no difference between last year and this year when there is a recovery by a prone A player without a change of possession during the down.
A has ball 1-10-A15. A12 throws a completed pass to A88 at the A25 and B85 hits A12 late and draws a flag. A88 fumbles the ball at the A30 and A recovers at the A20.
The enforcement for this both in 2010 and 2011 is 15yds from the A20. The recovery spot by A20 is a run.
The recovery spot by a prone player is considered an “instantaneous run” according to the NFHS Reddings Guide (2010, p.48). I don’t think there’s much dispute over that. There is rule support for this too.
2-41-9 . . . The spot where a run ends is:
a. Where the ball becomes dead in the runner’s possession.
With this understood, the enforcement in the play above is clear. It’s the same before and after the rule.
Here is what the 2010 Reddings Guide says:
Example 5-34: On third down from Team A’s 39 yard line, A12 is roughed after throwing a complete pass A28, who runs for three yards to his own 42 yard line and fumbles. The ball (a) is recovered by prone A63, or (b) rolls out of bounds, at Team A’s 45 yard line. RULING: In (a), the penalty is enforced from Team A’s 45 yard line. First and 10 at Team B’s 40 yard line. In (b), the penalty is enforced from Team A’s 42 yard line. First and 10 at Team B’s 43 yard line.
It goes on to say
“Notice the end of the last run in (a) is where the ball is finally advanced, Team A’s 45 yard line, not where A28 fumbled it, Team A’s 42 yard line. Among the definitions for the spot where the run ends (2-41-9) is the point where the ball is declared dead in player possession. A recovery by a probe player is an instantaneous run.”
I checked an old casebook and it wasn’t clear on this point.
Sadly the mistake of disregarding the recovery by a prone player has been made in publication. I checked the “Penalty Enforcements Made Easy” from 2009 and it says the enforcement is from the spot of the fumble. That’s incorrect.
It was wrong of the NFHS to make this change. It made an exception to an exception and confused things further. They should have clarified the original principle.
Here is where the new rule makes a change. If there is a fumble forward and out of bounds between the goal lines, A benefits by getting the penalty enforced from the dead ball spot. If it’s backwards and out of bounds (beyond the NZ), A loses the benefit of the last run.
