FORCE
Play: Third and 10 on Team A’s 10 yardline. A1 pitches the ball backward to A2, who muffs the ball on Team A’s three yard line. While the ball is rolling toward the sideline, B3 legally blocks A1 into the ball on the two yardline. A1’s contact with the ball causes it to go over the sideline in the end zone.
Ruling: Under NFHS rules, the covering official must judge whether the original force, charged to Team A from the backward pass, would have caused the ball to go into the end zone. If so, the play results in a safety and Team A would have to free kick from its 20 yardline. If the official judges the ball would not have gone into the end zone as a result of the backward pass, then a new force is attributed to B3 and the play results in touchback, Team A’s ball, first and 10 on its 20 yardline. (2-13-1, 8-5-2b, 8-5-3c, interp.)
