Manitowoc County Sports Officials Association

10/3/07 Football Meeting

Announcements / Games

Rule and Play Review• Late in the second quarter, A is out of timeouts. They are taking quite some time

and as they approach the line, the BJ starts his visible 5-second count. The QB calls timeout. The referee stops the clock and signals A's timeout. Once the referee looks at his card, he realizes A had no timeouts left. He then throws a flag and marches off 5 for delay of game.

– Wrong

• A breaks the huddle with 12 players. As the 12th player entered the huddle, the huddle broke, and the replaced player left the field immediately.

– No foul

• A is lined up for a try. The referee is counting players and determines there are 12 in the lineup. Just as he blows his whistle and throws a flag, the linesman also throws a flag for defensive encroachment.

– Dead ball fouls. Penalize A five yards (they violated first) to the 8. Penalize B half the distance to the 4.

• 3rd and 20 for A. QB A1 drops back to pass and is pressured. B2 grabs and twists A1’s facemask, but A1 is able to get away and complete a 15 yard pass to A11. Where is the enforcement spot?

– Previous spot. The pass from behind the line makes everything previous a loose ball play.

Force• Result of energy exerted by a player which provides movement of the ball.• Used only when ball going from the field of play into the end zone.• Initial Force

•Carry•Fumble•Kick•Pass•Snap

• New Force•A new force may result from a bat, illegal kick or muff of a:

•Backward Pass that has been grounded•Fumble that has been grounded•Kick that has been grounded•Muffing or batting a loose ball in flight is not a force

• Force Not a Factor•Kicks going into R’s end zone are always a touchback regardless of who supplied the force (casebook 6.3.1B)•Backward pass or fumble declared dead (with no player possession) in the end zone of the opponent of the player who passed or fumbled (TD)

Force PlaysA has back to own goal line

• Punt is blocked by R through the end zone and OOB.– Safety

• A2 fumbles at his own 2 yard line. The ball is still in the air and is legally batted into the end zone by B where it is recovered by A.– Safety (A forced it into the end zone)

• Same as above, except the ball goes into the end zone and then out of bounds.– Safety (A forced it into the end zone)

• Same as above, except the ball is grounded and rolling away from the end zone and B’s legal bat is determined to be a new force.– Touchback (A’s ball)

Force PlaysA is near B’s goal driving for TD

• A2 fumbles at the 2 yard line and the ball goes into the end zone, then OOB– Touchback (B’s ball)

• B intercepts pass in the end zone and falls to a knee– Touchback

• B intercepts, runs around trying to get out of the end zone, is tackled– Touchback

Force PlaysOdd Situations

• Scrimmage kick is rolling sideways at R’s 5-yard line. K dives for the ball and it bounces into the end zone where it is recovered by B– Touchback – kick into the end zone (B recovered dead ball)

• Scrimmage kick is bouncing toward R’s end zone. K is standing in end zone and catches the ball while it is over the 1-yard line.– A’s ball at the one (location of player doesn’t matter)

• K is kicking from own end zone. Kick is blocked and rolling away from the end zone. R legally bats the ball back into the end zone where it is recovered by K.– Touchback (K’s ball) (new force)

• B jumps to intercept. He comes down at A’s 2-yard line then steps into the end zone where he is tackled.– Momentum exception (B’s ball at the 2)

Beanbag Necessary• Why beanbag?

– We need the spot, where the run ends (fumble, backward pass), as an enforcement spot for fouls that occurred during that particular running play.

• A fumble that occurs behind the line of scrimmage need to be bagged not because we need that spot (fumble behind the LOS is a loose ball play), but to show us that the run ended behind and not beyond the line of scrimmage

– Also – to indicate that there has been a fumble– Also – to stay in the habit of bagging all fumbles

• So when the option play comes down the line and the backwards pass hits the running back in the chest and bounces to the ground where do you throw the beanbag?

• At the spot of the pitch – that is where the run ended.• First touching

– By K of a scrimmage kick beyond the LOS– By K in the neutral zone on a free kick

• Momentum Rule– Any interception or recovery inside the 5-yard line

• End of scrimmage kick– PSK enforcement

Beanbag Optional

• Spot of forward pass near LOS– So you can confirm location

• To hold a spot– Have to retrieve ball– Have to cover pile or OOB players

• Dead ball spot– ONLY if you can’t otherwise get there

Beanbag Not Necessary

– Muffed hand-to-hand snap doesn’t have to be bagged. Snap is a backward pass and you already have the spot marked by the down box

– Muffed long or shot gun snaps– Spot where R muffs a scrimmage kick– Spot of an illegal pass---flag– Spot of an illegal kick or illegally kicking of a loose

ball--- flag– Spot of an intercepted pass or any change or

possession (unless it falls under momentum rule)

Conferences• There is an injury timeout. All A players go near the

sideline and all coaches talk to them. Legal or not?– Legal– 9-8-1f Note: Between downs, communications between players

and coaches near the sideline are not an unauthorized conference.

• What are the 2 types of authorized conferences?– Between the hash marks – 1 coach and no more than 11 players– Outside the 9-yard marks – any number of players and coaches– Only one type allowed per timout– Between the 9-yard marks and the hash mark – unauthorized

conference (don’t let it happen)

• When?– Rule 3-8: Only during a charged time-out or certain official’s

time-outs (heat, TV/radio, between periods and after score)

Signals• What are the signals for:

– Touchback– First touching– Illegal batting– Illegal kicking– Delay of game– Illegal procedure– Holding– Illegal use of hands– Offside– Encroachment– Illegal helmet contact– Illegal participation– Crew signal – ball out of bounds– Miller time

When is this ball dead?

Odd Plays / Questions

Good Luck in the Playoffs