Play: Second and 14 from A’s 37 yardline. On attempted screen pass that falls incomplete, holding is called on A8. The foul occurs at team A’s 33 yardline.
Ruling: In NFHS, if accepted, the 10-yard penalty is enforced from the spot of the foul, team A’s 33 yardline. The result would be second and 28 from team A’s 23 yardline.
Play 1: Fourth and 10 on team K’s five yardline. K1’s punt is blocked and hits the ground at the 10 yardline. It spins back into the end zone and is muffed by K4. R5 then muffs it on team K’s three yardline and prone K6 recovers the ball at team K’s five yardline.
Ruling: In NFHS, the ball belongs to team R, first and Goal at team K’s five yardline. The ball was not touched by team R beyond the neutral zone. Team K’s recovery behind the neutral zone is legal, but team K failed to advance it beyond the line-to-gain. The ball is awarded to team R on downs. In NCAA play, since the kick went beyond the neutral zone, a new series is awarded to the team in possession at the end of the down if team R is the first to touch it. The illegal touching by K4 in the end zone is ignored by rule, so R5 was the first to touch it. It will be team K’s ball first and 10 at its five yardline (NFHS 5-1-3c, 6-2-3; NCAA 5-1-1e-2, 6-3-2c).
Play 1: Both codes state that two unsportsmanlike fouls by the same player warrant disqualification. However, what if a player accumulates a number of personal fouls? Is a player allowed an unlimited number of personal fouls?
Ruling: By rule, there is no mechanism for disqualifying a player on the basis of the number of fouls (other than unsportsmanlike) he commits. However, any single flagrant act results in disqualification. It is hoped that the coach would remove a player who committed a number of personal fouls if for no other reason than the 15 yard penalties that resulted from the fouls. But unless a player commits a flagrant act, the officials have no recourse (NFHS 9-5 Pen, 9-8 Pen; NCAA 9-2 Pen).
Play: With 1:22 to play in the third quarter, it’s fourth and 10 for team K from its own 30 yardline. R1 catches the punt at his own 40 yardline and breaks into the clear. At team K’s 10 yardline, just before crossing the goalline for a touchdown, R1 taunts K2. Should that foul be administered as a live-ball foul, nullifying the score? Also, should R1 be ejected?
Ruling: The foul described qualifies as unsportsmanlike conduct, a live-ball foul treated as a dead-ball foul. That means the touchdown counts but team R will attempt its try from team K’s 18 yardline. Garden variety taunting generally does not merit an ejection in and of itself. However, if R1 had been flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct earlier in the game, he would be ejected for having two such fouls (NFHS 9-5-1a, 10-4-5a; NCAA 9-2-1a-1b Pen).
Play: First and 10 for team A at its own three yardline. Halfback A3 is in his end zone when he muffs a backward pass from quarterback A1. A3 recovers the loose ball and is downed in the end zone. Defensive Tackle B5 is flagged for grasping and twisting A3’s facemask. How is the penalty administered if the foul occurs (a) after the ball is recovered, or (b) while the ball is loose?
Ruling: Under NFHS rules, in (a), the foul occurs during a running play, thus the basic spot is the end of the run. Since the end of the run is in the end zone, the penalty is enforced from the goalline. The result is first and 10 for team A from its 15 yardline. In (b), the foul occurs during a loose-ball play, thus the basic spot is the previous spot. That yields first and 10 for team A from its 18 yardline. In NCAA play, since the run ends behind the neutral zone, the basic spot is the previous spot. It will be first and 10 for team A from its 18 yardline (NFHS 2-33, 10-3, 10-5-2; NCAA 2-30-4a-2, 10-2-2c).
