2012 Rule Changes - Helmet Comes Off - Play Situations

[TXMike]

From CFO:

1. During a down ball carrier A22 is being tackled by B44. As he drives for more yardage A22’s helmet comes completely off without a helmet foul by Team B. RULING: The ball is immediately dead and the game clock is stopped. A22 must leave the game for the next down. The play clock is set at 25 seconds. Both the game clock and the play clock start on the referee’s signal.

2. During a down the helmet of A66 (not the ball carrier) comes off without a helmet foul by Team B. The ball remains alive until the ball carrier is tackled. RULING: The clock is stopped when the ball is dead and A66 must leave the game for the next down. The play clock is set at 25 seconds. Both the game clock and the play clock start on the referee’s signal.

3. During a down the helmet of B79 comes off without a helmet foul by Team A. The ball remains alive until the ball carrier is tackled. RULING: The clock is stopped when the ball is dead and B79 must leave the game for the next down. The play clock is set at 40 seconds. Both the game clock and the play clock start on the referee’s signal.

4. During a down the helmet of B79 comes off without a helmet foul by Team A. The ball remains alive until the ball carrier is tackled. At the end of the down the game clock shows 0:55 in the second or fourth quarter. RULING: The clock is stopped when the ball is dead and B79 must leave the game for the next down. The play clock is set at 25 seconds. Team A has the option of a 10-second runoff. Both the game clock and the play clock start on the referee’s signal. NOTE: Team B may avoid the 10-second runoff by using an available team timeout. However, B79 must leave the game for the next down whether or not Team B uses a timeout.

5. During a down the helmet of A66 comes off without a helmet foul by Team B. The ball remains alive until the ball carrier is tackled. At the end of the down the game clock shows 0:55 in the second or fourth quarter. RULING: The clock is stopped when the ball is dead and A66 must leave the game for the next down. The play clock is set at 25 seconds. Team B has the option of a 10-second runoff. Both the game clock and the play clock start on the referee’s signal. NOTE: Team A may avoid the 10-second runoff by using an available team timeout. However, A66 must leave the game for the next down whether or not Team A uses a timeout.

6. During a down B55’s helmet comes off without a helmet foul by Team A. He continues to chase the ball carrier and attempts to make the tackle. No opponent attempts to block B55.
RULING: The ball remains alive and the clock is stopped after the down ends. B55 must leave the game for the next down. Personal foul by B55 for continuing to participate in the play. 15 yards, three-and-one enforcement and automatic first down.

7. During a down the helmet of right guard A66 comes off without a helmet foul by Team B. A66 continues to participate by leading the play around right end. RULING: The ball remains alive and the clock is stopped after the down ends. A66 must leave the game for the next down. Personal foul by A66 for continuing to participate in the play. 15 yards, three-and-one or previous spot enforcement, as appropriate.

8. During a down tackle A79’s helmet comes off without a helmet foul by Team B as he is in pass-protection block mode against B88. They continue this action and the pass is thrown. RULING: Not a foul by A79 or by B88, as this is considered the immediate action in which they were engaged when the helmet came off. A79 must leave the game for the next down.

9. During a down tackle B77’s helmet comes off without a helmet foul by Team A. He stops where he is and is subsequently blocked by A55. RULING: Personal foul by A55 for blocking a player who by definition is out of the play. 15-yard penalty, three-and-one or previous spot enforcement, as appropriate. B77 must leave the game for the next down.

10. With less than one minute in the fourth quarter, during the down A66 deliberately takes off his helmet. RULING: Unsportsmanlike conduct by A66. 15-yard penalty. A66 must leave the game for the next down. Team B may exercise a 10-second runoff.

11. During a down B55’s helmet comes off without a helmet foul by Team A. He continues to chase the ball carrier and attempts to make the tackle. A79 blocks B55 to prevent him from reaching the ball carrier.
RULING: The ball remains alive and the clock is stopped after the down ends. Fouls by B55 for continuing to play without a helmet and by A79 for blocking a player who is out of the play. Offsetting fouls. B55 must leave the game for the next down.

12. During a down B55’s helmet comes off without a helmet foul by Team A. B55 immediately picks up his helmet, puts it on and continues to chase the ball carrier. RULING: No foul for continuing to participate since B55 is wearing his helmet while pursuing the play. The clock stops at the end of the down and B55 must leave the game for the next down. The play clock is set at 40 seconds and both clocks start on the referee’s whistle.

13. During a down B79’s helmet comes off without a helmet foul by Team A. The ball remains alive until the ball carrier is tackled beyond the line to gain for a first down for Team A. At the end of the down the game clock shows 0:55 in the second or fourth quarter. RULING: The clock is stopped when the ball is dead and B79 must leave the game for the next down. The play clock is set at 25 seconds. There is NO OPTION for a 10-second runoff because the helmet coming off is not the only reason for the game clock to stop. Both the game clock and the play clock start on the referee’s signal.

14. During a down ball carrier A22 is being tackled by B44. As he drives for more yardage A22’s helmet comes completely off because B44 pulls it off by the facemask. RULING: The ball is immediately dead and the game clock is stopped. 15-yard penalty against Team B, three-and-one enforcement plus automatic first down. A22 does not have to leave the game for the next play because his helmet comes off as the direct result of a helmet foul by Team B.

15. During a down B79’s helmet comes off. A66 is flagged for holding B79 a yard behind the neutral zone, but the helmet coming off is not the direct result of this foul. The ball remains alive until the ball carrier is tackled. At the end of the down the game clock shows 0:55 in the second or fourth quarter. RULING: Holding by A66. 10-yard penalty at the previous spot. The clock is stopped when the ball is dead and B79 must leave the game for the next down, because the helmet comes off without a helmet foul. There is NO OPTION for a 10-second runoff because the helmet coming off is not the only reason for the game clock to stop, and because the holding foul does not cause the clock to stop. Both the game clock and the play clock start on the referee’s signal following the completion of the holding penalty.

Rogers Redding
Secretary-Rules Editor
March 21, 2012

[Andrew McCarthy]

If #14 occurs in the last minute of the half is it subject to the ZAP-10?

[Kalle]

If #14 occurs in the last minute of the half is it subject to the ZAP-10?

It is a foul that causes the clock to stop, so yes.

[Rulesman]

This rule will last one year.

[El Macman]

It is a foul that causes the clock to stop, so yes.

Kalle, I certainly don't have an affirmitive ruling, but the ball would not have become dead - and the clock would not have stopped - by the foul itself. The helmet coming off caused the ball to become dead, and the clock to stop. Dead-ball and clock rules don't care WHY the helmet came off - only the fact that it came off. The fact that the helmet came off as the result of a foul is unrelated to the dead-ball and clock - no different than a chop block, holding, etc. For the 10-second subtraction to apply, the (live-ball) foul itself has to cause the ball to become dead and the clock to stop, as in the case of intentional grounding; the incomplete pass that is the intentional grounding caused the ball to become dead and the clock to stop, as it would any time it happened. FMM does not cause the ball to become dead and the clock to stop under other circumstances, so it doesn't in this case, either. 
With those thoughts in mind, I say that the 10-second subtraction does not apply.

[NVFOA_Ump]

What do we have if ball carrier A-25 is heading into the EZ and a reach from behind by B-28 gets his facemask removing his helmet as he's crossing the 5 yard line.  He then, sans helmet,  immediately spins around and continues into the EZ after he stiff arms B-31 at the 3 yard line?

[El Macman]

What do we have if ball carrier A-25 is heading into the EZ and a reach from behind by B-28 gets his facemask removing his helmet as he's crossing the 5 yard line.  He then, sans helmet,  immediately spins around and continues into the EZ after he stiff arms B-31 at the 3 yard line?

I'm looking for something hidden. This is too simple. The rule is very straightforward. When the ball-carrier's helmet comes off, the ball is dead - regardless of why or how. The clock stops to complete the penalty, but the act of the FMM does not cause the clock to stop, in, and of, itself. After the FMM penalty, A will put the ball in play, 1/G, clock starts on the RFP signal, with the play clock at 25 (if more than 25 seconds remain on the game clock ).
Curiously uncomplicated.

[NVFOA_Ump]

Does sound simple but effectively B has stopped a TD by committing a PF which has an immediate DB component.  Doesn't that seem like an outcome that invites problems?  And if A continues play without his helmet and almost immediately gets tackled by B at the 3 as we're reaching for a whistle do we do anything more?

[El Macman]

Does sound simple but effectively B has stopped a TD by committing a PF which has an immediate DB component.  Doesn't that seem like an outcome that invites problems?  And if A continues play without his helmet and almost immediately gets tackled by B at the 3 as we're reaching for a whistle do we do anything more?

Concur, but if we keep this quiet, they'll never know. 

[ROAD2D1]

Article 17 say's
"The player may not continue to participate in the play beyond the immediate action in which he is engaged"......   If he is at the 5 yd. line I think this part of the rule might help in the case where we allow the score?  His scoring a TD from the 5 would pretty much be immediate.

[El Macman]

Article 17 say's
"The player may not continue to participate in the play beyond the immediate action in which he is engaged"......   If he is at the 5 yd. line I think this part of the rule might help in the case where we allow the score?  His scoring a TD from the 5 would pretty much be immediate.

That applies to non-ball carriers. When the ball carrier's helmet comes off, the ball is dead - period. He does not  commit a helmet related foul by continuing to advance. Very technically, you could have a delay, but I don't think I know anyone that would make that call. The play is just over. Administer the penalty and carry on.
If the ball carrier takes his helmet off while the ball is live, then he commits the helmet removal foul, and the ball becomes dead.

[chymechowder]

This one makes no sense to me:

11. During a down B55’s helmet comes off without a helmet foul by Team A. He continues to chase the ball carrier and attempts to make the tackle. A79 blocks B55 to prevent him from reaching the ball carrier.
RULING: The ball remains alive and the clock is stopped after the down ends. Fouls by B55 for continuing to play without a helmet and by A79 for blocking a player who is out of the play. Offsetting fouls. B55 must leave the game for the next down.

Say a linebacker loses his helmet via (legal) contact shortly after the snap.  Quarterback rolls out well behind NZ. He's looking to throw deep and he's got one lineman rolling out with him. The linebacker continues his rush and is bearing down quickly on the QB. It's going to be one of those bang-bang plays where the QB is going to release it just before taking a huge hit. In this case, it's a foul on the lineman to protect his QB?   

[El Macman]

This one makes no sense to me:

11. During a down B55’s helmet comes off without a helmet foul by Team A. He continues to chase the ball carrier and attempts to make the tackle. A79 blocks B55 to prevent him from reaching the ball carrier.
RULING: The ball remains alive and the clock is stopped after the down ends. Fouls by B55 for continuing to play without a helmet and by A79 for blocking a player who is out of the play. Offsetting fouls. B55 must leave the game for the next down.

Say a linebacker loses his helmet via (legal) contact shortly after the snap.  Quarterback rolls out well behind NZ. He's looking to throw deep and he's got one lineman rolling out with him. The linebacker continues his rush and is bearing down quickly on the QB. It's going to be one of those bang-bang plays where the QB is going to release it just before taking a huge hit. In this case, it's a foul on the lineman to protect his QB?   

It is certainly foreign to traditional football thinking. But, for better or worse, the door of extreme player safety has ben opened (with much impetus from the training community), probably irrevocably. We'll catch flak from coaches that don't like this rule, when it affects them negatively. That's our lot in life. We can hope that players strap 'em on tight, and this becomes a non-issue.

[clearwall]

Snap from the middle of the field at the A-40, Quarterback A11 hands the ball off to A22 who runs the ball to the right side of the field. At the A-42, he is contacted by B40 who knocks the ball loose and A22's helmet comes of a) immediately as the ball comes loose, b)shortly after the ball comes loose, c) before the ball comes loose.

Ruling: In A and B, play continues and A22 must sit out one play. In C, the play is blown dead and A22 must sit out.

Am I correct on this one?

[El Macman]

Snap from the middle of the field at the A-40, Quarterback A11 hands the ball off to A22 who runs the ball to the right side of the field. At the A-42, he is contacted by B40 who knocks the ball loose and A22's helmet comes of a) immediately as the ball comes loose, b)shortly after the ball comes loose, c) before the ball comes loose.

Ruling: In A and B, play continues and A22 must sit out one play. In C, the play is blown dead and A22 must sit out.

Am I correct on this one?

Not quite. In B, you say that the BC's helmet comes off just before the ball becomes loose. That is the same as C. Ball is dead (both clocks are stopped). The BC is sent out for one play. The play clock is set to 25, and both clocks are re-started on the RFP signal.

[clearwall]

Gotcha thanks for the clarification

[El Macman]

And to clarify, in A, the helmet coming off does not immediately cause the ball to become dead; indeed, the ball remains alive, and A22 must not participate further in the play. When the ball becomes dead, both clocks are stopped, and A22 must leave the game for at least one play. The play clock is set to 25, and both clocks are started on the RFP signal.

[clearwall]

Well, it ended in a turnover, so it started on RFP anyway. Actually, it was one of the  more wild plays I've had, I really wish Id had video of it because I think the crew looked really good with everything. The ball popped out and I could see it lying on the ground and a player's leg lying on top of it. I just sat there watching it waiting for something to happen. My R had started coming over to my side and after the play he told me he was a split second from blowing his whistle. I'm glad he didnt, because one of the big uglies on the D line picked the ball up and took it to the house unopposed. The Offense tried 3 different desperate pleas to get the play overturned: "My helmet came off," "You blew the whistle," and "I was down."