In-season Quiz 2. Not too hard, but question 3 is debatable.
1. Free Kick @ A-35. While the free kick is in the air, B21 gives a “T signal” thinking he will not return the kick. The ball is caught by B44 at the B-5.
RULING:
B, 1/10, B-5, snap (40 and running).
B21’s invalid “T” signal causes the ball to become dead when possessed by any player. Because the ball was not caught by a signaler, Team B does not have the privilege of putting the ball in play at the B-25.
2. Free Kick @ A-35. While the free kick is in the air, B21 gives a “T signal” thinking he will not return the kick. The ball is caught by B44 in the end zone.
RULING:
B, 1/10, B-25, snap (40 and running).
B21’s invalid “T” signal causes the ball to become dead when possessed by any player. Although the ball was not caught by a signaler, the natural dead-ball spot in is B’s end zone, which gives team B the privilege of putting the ball in play at the B-25.
3. 3/10 @ B-22. A44 runs for 6 yards and is downed inbounds. During the down A22’s helmet comes off (no helmet foul by the defense) and B77’s helmet comes off before the end of the play (no helmet foul by the offense). When the clock stops it reads 0:58 in the fourth quarter. Neither team has a timeout remaining. Play clock?
RULING:
A, 4/4, B-16, ready (40).
There is no clear rule (or AR) direction regarding the status of the play clock when helmets come off of both players during a down. However, my logic is that the default play clock duration is 40-seconds unless the offense, only, loses a helmet. We shall see.
4. 3/10 @ B-40. QB A12 takes the snap and rolls out to the right. Finding no receiver open, A12 turns upfield and runs. After making the line to gain, A12 breaks stride as if he is going to slide feet first at the B-27, stays upright and runs for a touchdown.
RULING:
A, 1/10, B-27, game clock continues to run (except after 2-min T/O) (40 and running).
By rule, when a ball carrier simulates/fakes a feet-first slide, the ball is dead at that spot.
5. 3/10 @ A-25. Midway through the 3rd quarter, airborne A88 receives a legal forward pass at the A- 35. As A88 receives the ball, he is contacted by B21 and first comes to the ground with the ball at the A- 33, where the ball is declared dead.
RULING:
A, 1/10, A-35, game clock continues to run (except after 2-min T/O) (40 and running).
6. 3/4 @ 50. With the clock running after the ball is made ready for play and before the snap, B60 charges across the neutral zone and contacts snapper A50. A61 then commits a flagrant personal foul against B60.
RULING:
A, 1/10, A-40, ready (25).
B60 commits a foul for offside with contact, and A61 commits a personal foul. The penalties for these fouls are enforced in the order of their occurrence. The Team B penalty will yield a first down for Team A, and then the Team A penalty will move the ball back to the A-40, where the new line-to-gain is established.
7. Free Kick @ A-35. A91 kicks a squib kick downfield, and A21 has a foot down at the A-36 1⁄2 when the ball is kicked. B27 has his knee on the ground at the B-25 when he recovers the kick.
RULING:
A, kickoff, A-30, free kick timing (25), OR
B, 1/10, B-30, snap (25).
A21 commits a foul for offside when he places a body part on the ground more than 1 yard beyond the Team A restraining line (per Shaw ‘standard’ expressed in a recent game-situations video) before the ball is kicked. At Team B’s option, the 5-yard penalty may be enforced at the previous spot with the kickoff repeated, or it may be penalized at the spot where the dead-ball belongs to Team B, where Team B will be awarded a new scrimmage series.
8. 4/10 @ A-35. A91’s punt travels five yards beyond the neutral zone where B33 touches the ball. The ball then rebounds behind the neutral zone, where A80 recovers it at the A-30 in the field of play.
RULING:
A, 1/10, A-30, snap (25).
When B33 touches the legally kicked ball beyond the neutral zone, Team A’s series is broken. When A80 recovers the ball, Team A is awarded a new series at the spot of the recovery. By rule, following a legal scrimmage kick down, the game clock will start on the snap, and the play clock is set to 25-seconds and will start on the referee’s signal.
