There are 3 major rule codes, each with a slightly different focus designed to better support their level of play. NCAA and NFL have decided personal fouls are automatic First downs, so either enforcement spot would be a 1st down. That's only one of a number of significant differences (DIFFERENT, not necessarily better or woese).
As pointed out above, the result for "A" would now be 3rd and 1, rather than the 3rd and 10 they started with. This is the penalty deemed reasonable at the HS level, not as severe as at the NCAA or NFL levels, but whether better, fairer or not, depends a lot on which team is making that assessment.
No rule at any level is guaranteed to address EVERY situation EVERY time. NFHS seems more concerned about simplifying and standardizing enforcements, other levels feel a need for more exceptions and specific remedies. There's no absolute "Right or Wrong", it's what each code considers BEST for THEIR PARTICULAR situation.
There's no short cut for those of us working multiple levels, you have to learn different codes, but that's your choice.
My opposition to the rule is two fold:
1. Fouls by the defense often CAUSE planned pass plays to turn into run plays, which changes the enforcement spot. Example: QB has a primary receiver that beats the DB and is going to be wide open. DB knows he is beat, so he reaches out and pulls the receiver down. The knowledgeable official properly throws the flag for Illegal Use of Hands. Because HS players aren't as advanced as their NCAA or NFL brethren, the ability to find a secondary or tertiary receiver often doesn't exist, plus the blocking on the line probably isn't as good. As a result, QB scrambles, gets sacked 10 yards deep. Because it is a running play, the defensive foul, which caused the sack, gets enforced from the end of the run, meaning there is no no real penalty other than the down being played over.
2. The situation above. Defense grabs the QB by the face mask and pulls him down, preventing the QB from throwing a pass. Run play, enforce from the end of the run. But if the QB drops the ball during the pull, even intentionally, the foul is now enforced from the previous spot on a loose ball play.
Both of these outcomes defy logic, the first letting the defense "profit" from a foul, the second allowing the offense to "profit" from a fumble. Those sort of outcomes shouldn't be allowed to exist and show why the FED rule needs changing.
