S/B Quiz 13

[ElvisLives]

All questions answered “closed book.” We’ll see how I do…

1. 2/10 @ B-20. Late in the 4th quarter, Team A trails by 2 points. Runner A44 sweeps right, turns the corner and is tackled inbounds at the B-12 with 0:12 showing on the clock. Team A scrambles to the line, gets everyone set in a legal formation, and snaps the ball with 0:02 remaining and QB A12 spikes the ball, and the ball hits the ground with 0:01.
RULING: ______________│______________│______________│______________
A, 3/2, B-12, snap (40 and running).
When the game clock is running, there is no rule regarding how much time must be on the clock to legally ‘spike’ the ball to stop the game clock. Team A will likely attempt a field goal to win the game, and they have a 40 second play clock to accomplish that.

2. 3/6 @ 50. A12 throws a legal forward pass that hits guard A67 in the back of the helmet. Eligible A88 catches the ball at the B-48 and is tackled at the B-47.
RULING: ______________│______________│______________│______________
A, 4/3, B-47, GC running (40 and running).
There is no foul for illegal touching, because the ball was not touched intentionally by A67. A88’s catch and advance are legal. Play on.

3. 4/7 @ A-40. Team A punts. Receiver B27 is at the B-30 where he signals for a fair catch after the ball has hit the ground. A20 then blocks B27 above the waist, causing B27 to touch the ball at the B-31. A78 recovers the ball while grounded at the B-32.
RULING: ______________│______________│______________│______________
B, 1/10, B-32, snap (25).
The block by A20 on B27 is legal; there is no restriction on blocking a player that is not in position to make a catch of a kick. The touching of the ball by B27 is ignored, since he was blocked into the ball by an opponent. Thus, officially, the ball is untouched beyond the NZ when A78 recovers the ball, which is illegal touching, so the ball belongs to Team B at that spot, 1/10. 

4. 2/9 @ A-30. First quarter. At the A-38 runner A23 fumbles the ball which strikes the ground and bounces high into the air. B45 leaps, grabs the ball while he is airborne and returns to the ground touching the sideline at the A-40.
RULING: ______________│______________│______________│______________
A, 3/1, A-38, ready (40 and running).
B45 did not complete the recovery of the ball, thus, the ball still belongs to Team A. This is, then, a forward fumble out of bounds. The ball is returned to the spot of the fumble and the game clock will start on the referee’s signal. The 40-second play clock should already be running. While the ball is being spotted, the referee will make a quick announcement regarding the fumble being returned to the spot of the fumble.

5. 3/12 @ A-45. At the snap Team A has only 10 players on the field. Six are on the line—five are numbered 50-79, A80 is on the end of the line, and there are four players in the backfield. A12 completes a forward pass to A80 who is tackled at the B-40. RULING: ______________│______________│______________│______________
A, 1/10, B-40, ready (40 and running).
There is no foul on this down. While disadvantageous, it is not illegal for Team A to play with only 11 players, as long as they comply with mandatory numbering and formation rules (which they do, by the given description). Play on.

6. 3/10 @ 50. A12 who normally plays quarterback is lined up as a wide receiver in the backfield and A33 is five yards behind the snapper in a shotgun formation. A33’s pass intended for A12 is intercepted by B44 at the B-30 and is returned for a touchdown. During the interception return, B55 targets and launches at A33 at the B-40, striking him in the side of the helmet.
RULING: ______________│______________│______________│______________
B, 1/10, B-25, snap (25).
Even though A12 is not the player that receives the snap, he is, for the purposes of this rule, the “quarterback,” and is considered a defenseless player, by rule. B55’s action is targeting, and acceptance of the penalty will cancel the score, and, per 3 and 1 principle, the 15-yard penalty is penalized from the spot of the foul, to the B-25, 1/10. B55 is disqualified.

7. 1/10 @ A-25. Quarterback A12 drops back in the pocket and sets up to pass. He then scrambles to his right, sets up again and is in the passing posture when he is hit by end B88 who drives his shoulder into A12’s knee. A12 then pulls the ball in and goes to the ground at the A-18 because of being tackled by B88.
RULING: ______________│______________│______________│______________
A, 1/10, A-40, ready (25).
A player – not just a passer – in a passing posture may not be forcibly blocked at or below the knees. There does not need to be a pass thrown. This is “roughing the passer” (even though the player does not, officially, become a passer) and the 15-yard penalty is enforced from the previous spot, with a first down. (I wish they would change that to a "...ball carrier..." because "player" applies to any player on the field - with or without possession of the ball.) 

8. Try @ B-3. B25 intercepts A12’s forward pass in the end zone and returns to the B-15 where he is tackled. During the return B66 clips in the end zone.
RULING: ______________│______________│______________│______________
A, Kickoff, A-35, free kick timing (25).
By rule, the penalty is declined, and the try is over. Sorry, Team A. No safety by penalty.

[bctgp]

A follow-on question related to Quiz Question #6.

Would A12 also be considered a defenseless player on this play?  I know he was not contacted but was curious if is also considered defenseless given he is the normal QB. I couldn't find anything obvious in rules but wanted to understand if there is a CFO guidance or philosophy on this point.

Thanks as always.

[Kalle]

A follow-on question related to Quiz Question #6.

Would A12 also be considered a defenseless player on this play?  I know he was not contacted but was curious if is also considered defenseless given he is the normal QB. I couldn't find anything obvious in rules but wanted to understand if there is a CFO guidance or philosophy on this point.

Thanks as always.

This is a really badly written rule, IMO. I disagree with Elvis in this case in that the only definition in the rules related to who is a quarterback is in rule 1-4-1, and there the QB is defined by the position in the offensive formation. As A33 has lined up in the QB position, he should be considered the QB for targeting purposes (with the end result being what Elvis said), and A12 is an end and is not automatically defenseless during a return. I may very well be wrong, but if so, I'd really like this to be at least an A.R. or even an addition to rule 2-26-16 "Quarterback" (I'd like that even if I'm right, actually).

[JasonTX]

This is a really badly written rule, IMO. I disagree with Elvis in this case in that the only definition in the rules related to who is a quarterback is in rule 1-4-1, and there the QB is defined by the position in the offensive formation. As A33 has lined up in the QB position, he should be considered the QB for targeting purposes (with the end result being what Elvis said), and A12 is an end and is not automatically defenseless during a return. I may very well be wrong, but if so, I'd really like this to be at least an A.R. or even an addition to rule 2-26-16 "Quarterback" (I'd like that even if I'm right, actually).

It doesn't happen much in college but in Texas HS we have some schools who will rotate their "QB" around.  One play #13 may be the one taking the snap and the next play #18 and they'll both be on the field at the same time depending on the play being ran.  Should they declare in pregame who the "QB" is so that he is protected no matter what position he is in on that play?  I understand the reasoning behind Elvis's answer because that is their "star" player and they want him protected no matter where he lines up.

[ElvisLives]

Question 6
My answer for this question was not based on any real authority. That rule was was put in place after I departed FBS football, and I have not been in a position get authoritative answers about ambiguous rules like this. I ‘believe’ this rule was put in place to offer some special protection to the ‘star’ player on the team - the ‘franchise’ player, as it were, for college football. For the vast majority of downs across the sport, the QB takes the snap, and is clearly definable, and identifiable, for the entire down. But, he would still be the ‘star’ player that I believe they want specially protected. So, when he takes another position, like wide receiver - even as a decoy - and there is a change of possession, they don’t want the opposing team to ‘seek and destroy’ this star player, regardless of where he was positioned at the snap.
But I could be wrong. There was a time when I could get a quick, authoritative answers to such questions. But not now. Let’s see what S/B say in the next day or two.

[Kalle]

I ‘believe’ this rule was put in place to offer some special protection to the ‘star’ player on the team - the ‘franchise’ player, as it were, for college football.

I fully agree with you on the intent, but if it is meant to apply only to the players who are listed as QBs in the team roster, the rule is poorly written. I'm eagerly waiting for the answer

[Kalle]

Seems that the intent of the rule is to protect the actual QB during the down, not a specific "star" player.

"A33 is a defenseless player after the change of possession since he played the down in the role of the quarterback (Rule 2- 27-14-i)."

[ElvisLives]

Seems that the intent of the rule is to protect the actual QB during the down, not a specific "star" player.

"A33 is a defenseless player after the change of possession since he played the down in the role of the quarterback (Rule 2- 27-14-i)."

Well, egg on my face, but not for the reason you might think. As I have a tendency to do, I read the question incorrectly. Although the question very clearly states that B55 targeted A33, I had it in my mind that he targeted A12. You can see that in my rationale when I talked about A12 not being the player that received the snap, blah blah blah. So, it was truly the player that received the snap - A33 - and he acted as a conventional QB in throwing a pass (that got intercepted).
So, I was definitely wrong, and am not ashamed to admit it. The good news is that we now know that when a regular QB takes a position as a wide receiver, he is NOT the QB for that down, and he does NOT get the special targeting protection.
But, as Kalle points out, the language is still flawed. Example: A12 is positioned 6 yards behind the NZ, directly behind the snapper. When the ball is snapped, A12 extends his arms forward as to receive the ball, but A33 (in legal motion at the snap) catches the snap right in front of A12, and advances to the NZ, where he fumbles. B99 recovers the ball and advances the ball 30 yards. During B99's run, B55 targets upright A12 with 9-1-3 contact to the abdomen. So, who is the QB for this down? Are we to infer the receiver of the snap is the QB? Or, is A12 the QB? Or, is there NO QB on this down, for the purposes of this rule?
If they want it to be the receiver of the snap, then say so, directly, or define a QB as the player that receives the snap. Perhaps even go a bit further and change 2-27-14-i to read something like this: "The player that is in a stationary position behind the snapper at the snap and catches/recovers the snap." That would cover a player in position for a hand-to-hand snap; a player in "shotgun" position, and a player in punt position. I don't think a player that 'steals' the ball out of mid-air while the usual QB is (apparently) waiting for it should be afforded this special protection. But, if so, then just the "receiver of the snap" would do it.
One man's thoughts.