TASO Exam

[Ump62]

 
A19 on the opening kickoff surprises the receiving team by kicking the ball into the ground. B82 is positioned to recover the ball at the A-49 after it has bounced twice, when he is contacted by A32 as he subsequently recovers the kick.
Answer - No foul - ball is blown dead when recovered. Team B's ball 1 & 10 at A-49
What am I missing here? Team A is not yet eligible to touch the ball, therefore Team A may not block an opponent. I'm not sure about TASOs definition of "contacted", maybe that's the key.

[TXMike]

When I read that question, the mental picture I have is 2 guys going to get the ball (A32 and B82).   There is contact while they do so and A32 ends up with the ball.  Not KCI, even under the rule change, as ball hit twice. 

[Welpe]

I think the purpose of this question was to test the applicability of KCI. It could, perhaps, have been written a bit better.

[fencewire]

nah... 

[TxSkyBolt]

Got this wrong and don't understand why.

9     On a try, the ball carrier A32 is pulled down by his face mask as he goes out of bounds at the 1 yd line.
A)   Replay the try from the inbounds line at the 1/2 yd line
B)   Replay the try from the center of the field at the 1/2 yd line
C)   No score enforce the penalty on the kickoff
D)   None of the above

Since the try is replayed, can't Team A opt to have the ball placed anywhere between the hash marks.

[fencewire]

8.3.3.b.2

A repeat of the down after a penalty against Team B may be from any point on or between the hash marks on or behind the yard line where the penalty leaves the ball.

[Cowman52]

As he goes out of bounds,  sounds like the try failed, and 15 should be enforced on the kick. If he was down by contact in the middle of the field, and then face mask happened, would you give another try??

[JasonTX]

As he goes out of bounds,  sounds like the try failed, and 15 should be enforced on the kick. If he was down by contact in the middle of the field, and then face mask happened, would you give another try??

The foul occurred while the ball is still live.  The face mask was being pulled before the ball was dead.

[TXMike]

As he goes out of bounds,  sounds like the try failed, and 15 should be enforced on the kick. If he was down by contact in the middle of the field, and then face mask happened, would you give another try??

"Down by contact" ?  What is that?  He is down or he is not, contact is immaterial

[El Macman]

Somewhat ambiguos question, no doubt. If we assume the foul was live-ball, then A definitely should have the privilege to snap the ball anywhere between the hash marks. If that is the case the completely correct answer just isn't there.
If we assume the foul was dead ball, then the only enforcement spot is the succeeding kickoff or succeeding spot in the extra period. That answer is there (albeit incomplete).

So, whomever is responsible for authoring the exam needs to weigh in with the intent, and/or amend the question to remove the ambiguity.

But, there is no such thing as "down by contact" under NCAA rules, Mr. Cowman.

[TxSkyBolt]

The intent has to be a live ball foul, because the answer on the key is B.

[El Macman]

The intent has to be a live ball foul, because the answer on the key is B.

I believe that, but that answer is not 100% correct, because it implies no option for A to select the lateral location for the snap.
The good news is that these questions and discussions make us get into the book and study. We learn. We get better.

[TXMike]

How about if worded like this:

On a try, the ball carrier A32 is pulled down by his face mask as he goes out of bounds at the 1 yd line.

A) Team A can choose to replay the try from the inbounds line at the 1/2 yd line
B) Team A must replay the try from the center of the field at the 1/2 yd line
C) No score enforce the penalty on the kickoff
D) None of the above
 

[TexDoc]

Here's a horribly written question:

Interference with the opportunity to catch a kick results from a Team A player
   A)   being blocked within one yard of the potential receiver
   B)   running within one yard of the potential receiver
   C)   standing directlly in front of the potential receiver
   D)   none of the above

This is they type of question we used to get on the tests. 

[El Macman]

How about if worded like this:

On a try, the ball carrier A32 is pulled down by his face mask as he goes out of bounds at the 1 yd line.

A) Team A can choose to replay the try from the inbounds line at the 1/2 yd line
B) Team A must replay the try from the center of the field at the 1/2 yd line
C) No score enforce the penalty on the kickoff
D) None of the above

How about:

On a try from the B-3 in the center of the field, B55 grasps A32's facemask and pulls him to the ground, both falling out of bounds at the B-4, at the left sideline. Team A accepts the penalty.

A) Team A may repeat the try anywhere on or between the hash marks at the B-1 1/2.
B) Team A must repeat the try from the center of the field at the B-1 1/2.
C) Try ends - no score. Enforce the penalty on the succeeding kickoff (or succeeding spot in the extra period).
D) None of the above.

[TxSkyBolt]

How about if worded like this:

On a try, the ball carrier A32 is pulled down by his face mask as he goes out of bounds at the 1 yd line.

A) Team A can choose to replay the try from the inbounds line at the 1/2 yd line
B) Team A must replay the try from the center of the field at the 1/2 yd line
C) No score enforce the penalty on the kickoff
D) None of the above

Mike,

Don't know when it was changes, but the rule book now calls the "inbounds line" the hash marks.  If you do a word search of the rule book, you'll find it mentioned twice.  Once in an AR and another time in the table of contents and then when you go to that page, it's not there.

Best regards,

Brad

[TXMike]

Here's a horribly written question:

Interference with the opportunity to catch a kick results from a Team A player
   A)   being blocked within one yard of the potential receiver
   B)   running within one yard of the potential receiver
   C)   standing directlly in front of the potential receiver
   D)   none of the above

This is they type of question we used to get on the tests.

When did you see that?  I don't think that is on the Test 1.

[ETXZebra]

When I first opened the test it wasn't on there. But when I took the test it was there. It was the only question that changed. Strange!  It took the place of question 45.

[TxSkyBolt]

It was on there when I took it Tuesday morning.

[CenTexTM]

When I read that question, the mental picture I have is 2 guys going to get the ball (A32 and B82).   There is contact while they do so and A32 ends up with the ball.  Not KCI, even under the rule change, as ball hit twice.

The second bounce eliminates any chance of KCI, but if it's on the A-49, A32 shouldn't be eligible to initiate contact, so wouldn't this be an illegal block?

[TXMike]

Initiating contact is not  the same as a block.  The vision I had when I saw the question was a Team A player trying to get the ball and his body makes contact with the Team B player.

[TxSkyBolt]

The second bounce eliminates any chance of KCI, but if it's on the A-49, A32 shouldn't be eligible to initiate contact, so wouldn't this be an illegal block?

The rule says nothing about "initiating contact".  It says "No Team A player may block an opponent until Team A is eligible to touch a free-kicked ball."  And Blocking "...is obstructing an opponent by contacting him with any part of the blocker’s body."