Loose Ball Play

[NVFOA_Ump]

Part 3 - Last night during a rules presentation for coaches a few more questions were asked that went something like:

As I understand the NFHS rule we can have one and only one "Loose Ball Play" during any given down.  So during a down when we have a fumbled snap recovered by the QB, then a completed forward pass to a running back, who 10 yards downfield throw a backward pass to a wide receiver, who fumbles after running 5 more yards, with the running back recovering while grounded we have by rule a single loose ball play?

[Ralph Damren]

Easy way to remember is that all loose ball plays have to occur behind the LOS. Fumbles beyond the LOS are treated as a running play ,with the fumble marking the end-of-run. Same is true with a backward or illegal pass beyond the LOS. Consider a runner off for a 50 yard gallop and  ,as he is about to be tackled, he pitches the ball forward to a teammate. The surprised teammate drops the IFP, killing the play. The basic spot would be the end-of-run (spot of IFP), we wouldn't go back 50 yards to the previous LOS.

Hope this helps.

[Magician]

Part 3 - Last night during a rules presentation for coaches a few more questions were asked that went something like:

As I understand the NFHS rule we can have one and only one "Loose Ball Play" during any given down.  So during a down when we have a fumbled snap recovered by the QB, then a completed forward pass to a running back, who 10 yards downfield throw a backward pass to a wide receiver, who fumbles after running 5 more yards, with the running back recovering while grounded we have by rule a single loose ball play?

You can have multiple plays per down.
You can only have 1 loose ball play per down and when it occurs it's always the first play.
You can have multiple running plays per down.

In your example the loose ball play ends when the pass was completed by the running back. You then have 3 running plays although the last one is simultaneous with the dead ball. The first one started when the RB caught the pass and ends when the wide receiver caught the backward pass (the spot the RB threw it though is the of the related run and the spot where the bean bag should be dropped). The second running play starts when the WR catches the backward pass and ends when the RB recovers the fumble (the spot of the fumble is the end of the related run).

Determination of a loose ball play is based on loss of players possession behind the LOS through pass, fumble or kick.

[CalhounLJ]

You can have multiple plays per down.
You can only have 1 loose ball play per down and when it occurs it's always the first play.
You can have multiple running plays per down.

In your example the loose ball play ends when the pass was completed by  TO  the running back. You then have 3 running plays although the last one is simultaneous with the dead ball. The first one started when the RB caught the pass and ends when the wide receiver caught the backward pass (the spot the RB threw it though is the of the related run and the spot where the bean bag should be dropped). The second running play starts when the WR catches the backward pass and ends when the RB recovers the fumble (the spot of the fumble is the end of the related run).

Determination of a loose ball play is based on loss of players possession behind the LOS through pass, fumble or kick.

Only point of disagreement is the part I fixed. Because the difference is important. The loose-ball play ended when the running back caught the ball, not when he passed it backward to the next player.