ball hits umpire

[zebraken]

a pass thrown over the middle bounces off the umpires shoulder and is caught in flight by the reciever. is this a recepetion or an incomplete pass

[Ump33]

4.1.5 Situation: A forward pass strikes: (a) a game official standing inbounds, after which it rebounds into the air and is caught by A1 or B1; or (b) a dog or a spectator inbounds. Ruling: In (a), A1 or B1 has caught a live ball. Nothing has occurred to cause the ball to become dead. In (b), the ball becomes dead immediately and is administered under the provisions of the inadvertent whistle rule with a replay of the down. (4-2-2e; 4-2-3a)

[refbuz]

Touching of an official is ignored, unless the official is out of bounds.

[KingTut]

IS every A eligible after the ball touches the official?

[maven]

IS every A eligible after the ball touches the official?

No. Only the ball touching B does that.

Touching an official is ignored.

[Atlanta Blue]

IS every A eligible after the ball touches the official?

No, the ball striking an (inbounds) official does not change it's status.

[bossman72]

IS every A eligible after the ball touches the official?

NCAA- different story

[bbeagle]

We had this happen in a game of mine about 10 years ago:

Play: A1 runs the ball in a sweep to the sidelines. A1 runs past LM, and about 5 yards past the LM, A1 is hit by B1, fumbles the ball, and it bounces right at the LM, he tries to avoid it by stepping out-of-bounds, but only manages 1 leg in-bounds and 1 leg out-of-bounds. The ball bounces on the ground in the field of play directly into the LM's leg in the field of play (ball would have gone out-of-bounds if the LM's leg wasn't there) and then back to the field-of-play where B1 jumps on the ball.

What is the ruling?

[Atlanta Blue]

We had this happen in a game of mine about 10 years ago:

Play: A1 runs the ball in a sweep to the sidelines. A1 runs past LM, and about 5 yards past the LM, A1 is hit by B1, fumbles the ball, and it bounces right at the LM, he tries to avoid it by stepping out-of-bounds, but only manages 1 leg in-bounds and 1 leg out-of-bounds. The ball bounces on the ground in the field of play directly into the LM's leg in the field of play (ball would have gone out-of-bounds if the LM's leg wasn't there) and then back to the field-of-play where B1 jumps on the ball.

What is the ruling?

The LM (H around here) was OOB, and the ball touched him = the ball is OOB.  Doesn't matter that it touched the part that was in bounds.  He was touching OOB, it touched him, ergo, it's OOB.  A retains possession.

[maven]

The LM (H around here) was OOB, and the ball touched him = the ball is OOB.  Doesn't matter that it touched the part that was in bounds.  He was touching OOB, it touched him, ergo, it's OOB.  A retains possession.

Yup. 2-29-1 & 3

[bbeagle]

The LM (H around here) was OOB, and the ball touched him = the ball is OOB.  Doesn't matter that it touched the part that was in bounds.  He was touching OOB, it touched him, ergo, it's OOB.  A retains possession.

Yes, exactly our ruling.

At first, Coach A was extremely upset at our HL (LM) for not getting out of the way, but after the ruling with B NOT getting the ball, he calmed down.

[ECILLJ]

LM, he tries to avoid it by stepping out-of-bounds, but only manages 1 leg in-bounds and 1 leg out-of-bounds. 

This is one of the reasons the Federation has emphasized the need for the wings to work from outside of the sideline while the ball is live.