2014 NFHS Football Rule 9Conduct of Players and Others

(9 Sections)

Section 2 – Illegal Use of Hands and Holding

Including scrimmage kicks

Section 3 – Illegal Blocking

Section 3 – Illegal Blocking

Section 3 – Illegal Blocking

Section 3 – Illegal Blocking

ART. 8…No member of the kicking team shall initiate contact to (block) an opponent on a free kick until:a.The legal kick has traveled 10 yards;b.The kicking team is eligible to recover a free-kicked ball; orc.The receiving team initiates a block within the neutral zone.

Section 4 – Illegal Personal Contact

ART. 3 . . .No player or nonplayer shall:a.Swing the foot, shin or knee into an opponent, nor extend the knee to meet a blocker.b.Charge into or throw an opponent to the ground after he is obviously out of the play, or after the ball is clearly dead either in or out of bounds.c.Pile on any player who is lying on the ground.d.Hurdle an opponent.e.Position himself on the shoulders or body of a teammate or opponent to gain an advantage.f.Throw a helmet to trip an opponent.g.Make any other contact with an opponent which is determined unnecessary and which incites roughness.h.Grasp an opponent’s face mask, any edge of a helmet opening, chin strap, or a tooth and mouth protector attached to the face mask.

Section 4 – Illegal Personal Contact

ART. 3 . . .No player or nonplayer shall:i.Initiate illegal helmet contact. (butt block, face tackle or spear). This contact may be considered flagrant. Acts considered to be flagrant are as follows:

1. Illegal helmet contact against an opponent lying on the gournd.2. Illegal helmet contact against an opponent being held up by other

players and/or3. Illegal helmet-to-helmet contact against a defenseless opponent.

j.Strike an opponent with his fist, locked hands, forearm or elbow, nor kick or knee him.k.Grab the inside back or side collar of the shoulder pads or jersey of the runner and subsequently pull (backward or sideward) that opponent to the ground (horse-collar), even if possession is lost. The horse-collar foul is enforced as a live-ball foul.l.Initiate contact with an opposing player whose helmet has come completely offm.Target an opponent.

TARGETING…

An act of taking aim and initiating contact to an opponent above the shoulders with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow, or shoulders.

Section 4 – Illegal Personal Contact

ART. 8 . . .Unintentional contact between a nonplayer and a game official in the restricted area while the ball is live.

Section 5 – Noncontact Unsportsmanlike Conduct by Players

Section 6 – Illegal Participation

ART. 2 . . .No player shall intentionally go out of bounds during the down and:a.Return to the field;b.Intentionally touch the ball;c.Influence the play; ord.Otherwise participate.

Section 6 – Illegal Participation

g. For a player whose helmet comes completely off during a down to continue to participate beyond the immediate action in which the player is engaged.

Section 7 – Illegal Kicking and Batting

Section 8 – Noncontact Unsportsmanlike Conduct by Nonplayers

Section 9 – Unfair Acts

Section 9 – Unfair Acts

Rule 9Sample Questions

Case Book

Rule 9Sample Questions

Case Book

Rule 9Sample Questions

Case Book

Rule 9Sample Questions

Case Book

Rule 9Sample Questions

Case Book

RULING: In (a), because this contact is following the incomplete pass, it is a dead-ball foul and would be penalized from the succeeding spot. In (b), because the pass was still in flight when B1 contacted A1, it was pass interference even though it is obvious the pass was overthrown. The penalty is enforced from the previous spot—15 yards. If the pass had been touched by a teammate of A1, prior to the contact by B1, the result would be a personal foul by B1, because A1 was obviously out of the play.

Rule 9Sample Questions

Case Book

9.4.3 SITUATION U: Defensive back B1 see receiver A1 running a crossing route while A2 is taking the under route. As they near each other, B1 takes aim at A1 and: (a) makes contact to A1 above the shoulders with the shoulder pads of B1; (b)makes contact to A1 above the shoulders with the helmet of B1; (c) misses A1 but makes contact with A2 above the shoulders with the shoulder pads of B1; or (d) misses A1 but makes contact with A2 above the shoulders with the helmet of B1.

RULING: In (a) and (c), B1 has committed a foul for targeting; in (b) and (d), B1 has committed both a targeting foul and a foul for illegal helmet contact. In (b) and (d), the targeting foul should be reported and enforced.