Oahu Pop Warner
ILH Officiating Case Plays

Play: NFHS only. Team A has the ball, first and 10 from team B’s 20 yardline with 2:37 left in the fourth quarter. The back judge fails to signal that the 25-second clock is ready to expire. Team A is flagged for a delay penalty. Is team A still penalized because of the back judge’s error? Ruling: The back judge clearly failed to follow the mechanics when he forgot to tick off the last five seconds of the count. That does not negate the penalty, however. If accepted, the five-yard penalty is enforced, leaving team A with first and 15 from team B’s 25 yardline (3-6-2a).

Play: Team B leads, 7-0, and time has expired for the fourth quarter. A team B penalty has led to an untimed down. On the untimed down, A1’s legal forward pass is incomplete. After the ball hits the ground, B2 knocks down A3 before B4 runs up to A3 and taunts him. Will there be another untimed down? Ruling: The game is over and team B wins. Another extension would occur only if, during the untimed down, the penalty for a foul other than unsportsmanlike or non-player by either team is accepted. Although the actions of B2 and B4 cannot be addressed on the field, the covering official would be wise to report the late hit and the unsportsmanlike act to the conference, state association or other assigning agency for possible disciplinary action (NFHS 3-3-3; NCAA 3-2-3).

Play: Fourth and three for team K at team R’s 22 yardline. K1’s field goal attempt is good, but while the ball is live, R1 is flagged for grasping and twisting K2’s facemask at team R’s 11 yardline. Does post-scrimmage kick enforcement apply? Can team K have the penalty enforced on the ensuing kickoff?  Ruling: In NFHS rules, team K may choose to replay the down after enforcement of the half-the-distance penalty or have the penalty enforced from the succeeding spot (NFHS 8-4-3). Post-scrimmage kick enforcement does not apply on successful field goals (NFHS 2-16-2h). In NCAA play, team K may accept the penalty, nullifying the score and have the penalty enforced from the previous spot, or decline the penalty and keep the points with no carryover enforcement (NCAA 10-2-2g 4, 10-2-2 e Exc. 3; AR 10-2-2 XXIV).

Play: Guard A6 removes his helmet (a) during an injury timeout, or (b) as he is leaving the field after being called for a penalty during the previous down. Should A6 be penalized? Ruling: NFHS has no rule restricting players to keeping their helmets on in those situations. As a result, there is no foul in (a). In (b), unless A6 threw his helmet or verbally abused an official or opponent after removing his headgear, there would be foul. In NCAA play, there is no foul in (a). However, it is a dead-ball unsportsmanlike conduct foul in (b) regardless if A6 added commentary. A player may not remove his helmet unless there is a team, media or injury timeout or during measurement for a first down. Also, there is no foul if the helmet is knocked off during play or is removed between periods. The penalty for illegal removal of the helmet is 15 yards from the succeeding spot (NFHS no coverage; NCAA 1-4-4b, 3-3-2a-19, 9-2-1a-1

Play: R1 is standing in his own end zone when he muffs K2’s free kick, which was in flight. The ball hits the ground and rolls out of bounds at team R’s three yardline. Where is the ball placed for the new series? Is that a touchback?  Ruling: Under NFHS rules, the ball was dead when it broke the plane of team R’s goalline. The result of the play is a touchback and team R will begin a new series, first and 10 at its own 20 yardline. Under NCAA rules, the ball remains live when R1 muffs it. Team R’s muff caused the ball to go out of bounds. Therefore, team R’s series will begin at its own three yardline, the spot where the ball went out of bounds (NFHS 4-2-2d-1; NCAA 4-1-3a, c).

Play: K1’s kick try is good. While the kick was in flight, R2 is flagged for (a) grabbing and twisting the facemask of guard K3, (b) holding, or (c) a live-ball illegal substitution foul.  Ruling: In NFHS play, in each case, team K may take the one point and have the penalty enforced on the kickoff, or team K may replay the try after enforcement of the penalty. According to NCAA rules, team K may replay the try after enforcement of the penalty or decline the penalty. The penalty cannot carry over (NFHS 8-3-5, 10-5-1d, 8.3.2C, 8.3.5A and B; NCAA 8-3-3b-1, 10-2-2g-1, AR 3-2-3 VII, AR 8-3-2 II, AR 8-3-3 I, AR 10-1-7 XIV, XV, and XVII).

Play: (NFHS only) K1 kicks off from his own 40 yardline. The kick crosses the neutral zone but a strong wind blows it back to team K’s 48 yardline, where it hits the ground, K2 blocks R1 into the ball there and and the ball goes out of bounds at team K’s 48 yardline.  Ruling: Team R’s only option is to take the ball at the spot it went out of bounds, team K’s 48 yardline. Once the ball crosses the neutral zone on a free kick, forced touching exemptions no longer apply.

Play: First and goal for team A from team B’s seven yardline. Runner A1’s shin touches the ground on team B’s one yardline. A1 then stretches his arm so that the ball crosses the goalline. Is that a touchdown? If not, where is the ball placed? Ruling: Based on the description of the play, it is not a touchdown. A1 could only score if the ball broke the plane before the ball was dead. The covering official will have to determine where the ball was when A1’s knee touched the ground and that will be the point of forward progress (NFHS 2-15-1, 4-2-2a; NCAA 2-8-2, 4-1-3b).

Play: As K1 is approaching the ball for a free kick, the ball falls or is blown off the tee. If K1 kicks the ball, is it an illegal kick? Ruling: If the ball does not remain on the tee, the officials should blow their whistles to keep the ball dead. Once the kicker replaces the ball on the tee, the referee should again blow the ready. Although it is not a rule, it is accepted practice for the kicking team to get two chances to kick the ball off the tee without benefit of a holder. If the ball does not remain on the tee a second time, team K should provide a holder.

Play:  K1’s punt is rolling toward team R’s goalline.  K2 attempts to stop the ball from reaching the end zone.  While lying in a prone position with most of his body out of out of bounds, K2 successfully stops the football at team R’s one yardline.  Is K2 guilty of illegal participation since he went out of bounds and influenced the play, or is there no foul?  Ruling:  Because K2 is out of bounds, his touching causes the ball to become dead.  The effect is the same as if K2 were inbounds and downed the ball: It’s team R’s ball at its own one yardline (NFHS 2-29-1, 4-2-2b, 6-2-7; NCAA 4-1-3a, 4-2-1a, 4-2-3a, 5-1-1d).

Play:  R1 makes a fair catch of K2’s punt at team K’s 30 yardline.  Team R has an outstanding kicker and chooses to free kick.  Is that legal?  Ruling:  Yes, but in NFHS rules only.  The teams line up as if for a kickoff, but the kicker must kick the ball off the ground or off a “block.” (NFHS 1-3-4, 2-24-3 and 7, 6-1-1d).  NCAA rule 6-5-1d prohibits a free kick after a fair catch.

Play: Fourth and 10 from team R’s 43 yardline.  R2 catches a punt on his four yardline and his momentum carries him into his own end zone, where he is tackled.  After the catch and while the ball was still live, R5 clipped K6 (a) in the end zone or, (b) at team R’s 15 yardline. Assuming team K accepts the penalty, how is it enforced?  Ruling: Because the momentum exception applies, the end of R2’s run is considered to be the spot where the kick was caught (team R’s four yardline) and that is the basic spot.  In (a), the enforcement results in a safety since the foul by the offense occurred behind the basic spot and the spot of the foul is in the end zone.  In (b), the penalty is enforced half the distance from the basic spot to team R’s two yardline where it will be first and 10 for team R (NFHS 8-5-2a Exc., 10-4-3, 10.4.3C; NCAA 2-25-11, 8-5-1b Exc., A.R. 8-5-1 VII).

The Hawaii Football Officials Association (formerly ILH) and the Oahu Interscholastic Association (OIA) are looking for people interested in learning to officiate tackle football games. Classroom training starts in June. On the job training begins as early as August. GREAT part-time job!

Contact ILH representative, Dr. Lloyd Hisaka at 956-3818 or hisaka@hawaii.edu or contact the OIA representative Lyanne Nakamoto at LHNakamoto@aol.com.

Click here for the list of team contacts.