OK, I confess. I had to check my rule book on a couple of these, to verify my understanding. I verified "my" understanding, but that may not mean I am correct. Check me.
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1. 4/3 @ A-40. A90’s punt is shanked and lands at the A-45 and B21 touches the ball and it rebounds back to the A-38. A44 recovers and is downed immediately.
RULING: A, 1/10, A-38, snap (25).
When the ball is touched by Team B after a legal scrimmage kick has crossed the NZ, all players are eligible to touch/catch/recover the ball. Since the kicked ball had crossed the NZ, the original series is broken, and a new series is awarded to the team in legal possession when the down is over. Due to the legal kick down, the play clock is set to 25, and will start on the referee’s signal. The game clock will start on the snap.
2. 4/10 @ A-30. Team A’s untouched punt or field goal attempt goes beyond the neutral zone in flight to the A-32, is blown back by the wind and first touches the ground at the A-28 where A44 recovers the ball. A44 runs to the A-42 where he is tackled.
RULING: A, 1/10, A-42, snap (25).
A ball loose from a legal scrimmage kick has not crossed the NZ until touches the ground, a player, or an official beyond the NZ. In this case, the kicked ball never crossed the NZ; thus, all players are eligible to touch/catch/recover the ball, and advance it. The series was not broken during the down; thus, Team A earns a new series at the end of the down, having advanced the ball beyond the LTG. Due to the legal kick down, the play clock is set to 25, and will start on the referee’s signal. The game clock will start on the snap.
3. 4/10 @ A-5. A90’s punt from behind A’s goal line crosses the neutral zone and lands at the A-11. The ball strikes B44 at the A-12 and rebounds back across Team A’s goal line, where A32 recovers.
RULING: Safety, 2 points for B. A, Free Kick, A-20, Free Kick Timing (25).
Impetus for the kick being declared dead behind A’s goal line is from the kick. Having simply been touched (no possession, batting, or kicking) by B44 does not change the impetus. Thus, the natural result of the down is a safety, 2 points for Team B, with a Free Kick by Team A at the A-20 to follow. The down statement does not indicate if A32 was “down” or still on his feet when he recovered the ball. However, since the legally kicked ball had crossed the NZ, the ball would have become dead at that spot when any Team A player recovered the ball, regardless if that player was “down” or on his feet.
4. Team A is offside on its free kick and B17 catches the ball at his 15-yard line. B17 returns the ball to his 45-yard line where he fumbles. A67 recovers at the B-47 and runs to the B-35 where he fumbles. B20 then recovers while downed at the B-38.
RULING: B, 1/10, B-42, snap (25).
Fouls by Team A during a free kick may be enforced at the previous spot (with the down repeated), or at the spot where the dead-ball belongs to Team B (even if there are multiple changes of team possession during the down). Although B may penalize at the previous spot and repeat the kickoff, that option is highly unlikely to be elected.
5. Late in the game, Team A attempts an on-side kick from the A-35. As the kick is rolling, A8 touches the ball at the A-44 and then A10 recovers the kick at the A-46. A8 was offside on the play and B21 blocked an opponent below the waist after the touch by A8 and before the recovery by A10.
RULING: A, Free Kick, A-35, Free Kick timing (25).
A’s offside foul and B’s illegal block below the waist foul offset and the down is repeated. There is no opportunity for the “clean hands” provision, because “clean hands” requires there be a change of team possession during the down. Since Team B was never in team possession during the down, they cannot invoke this provision. The offsetting fouls obviates the illegal touching violation.
6. Late in the game with the score tied, Team A lines up to free kick from the A-35. Kicker A10 places the ball down at the right hash for an apparent onside kick. After the Referee’s ready-for-play signal, A10 approaches the ball and then picks up the ball runs to the left hash at the A-35, places the ball down and quickly kicks the ball.
RULING: Insufficient Information.
Per AR 6-1-2-VIII, this is a LIVE BALL foul. Truthfully, we don't have a "name" for this foul identified in the rules. But, I would go with "Illegal Kick," even though all other "illegal kicks" are dead-ball fouls, or fouls that cause the ball to become dead.
Option A: A, Free Kick, A-30, Free Kick Rules (25). Penalize at the previous spot and repeat the down.
Option B: If the ball belongs to Team B at the dead-ball spot, they may enforce the penalty at the dead-ball spot.
7. Late in the game with the score tied, Team A attempts an on-side kick from the A-35. The kick goes out of bounds untouched by Team B at the A-47. A10 illegally touched the kick at the A-44.
RULING: B, 1/10, A-42, snap (25).
Team B has three options:
1) Penalize the Illegal Kick OB at the previous spot and repeat the down.
2) Decline the penalty and invoke the illegal touching privilege, and take the ball for a new series at the A-44.
3) Penalize the Illegal Kick OB at the spot where the dead-ball belongs them (A-47). The 5-yard penalty would place the ball at the A-42, 1/10. This is the obvious choice.
Due to the completion of the penalty, the play clock is set to 25, and will start on the referee’s signal. The game clock will start on the snap.
8. Free Kick from the A-35. A10 is offside and the airborne kick is touched inbounds by B80 at the B-20 and goes out of bounds at the B-25.
RULING: B, 1/10, B-30, Snap (25).
Team B can have the 5-yard penalty for the offside foul enforced at the previous spot and repeat the down (not likely), or can enforce that penalty at the spot where the dead-ball belongs to Team B (B-25), which would place the ball at the B-30, 1/10. Yes, Team B received the benefit of the ball going OB in advance of the spot where it was touched by B80, but that is just the “fortune of war.”
