FOOTBALL RULES QUESTIONS AND
ACTUAL ANSWERS .
During,A2's,run,for,a,touchdown,,B2,grabs,A2's,facemask.,RULING:,The,touchdown,counts.,If,Team,A,acce
pts,the,penalty,it,may,be,enforced,on,the,kickoff,from,A's,40,yard,line.,,ANS,-,,[,True,:,8-2-2;,9-4-
3h,Penalty;,Case,Book,8.2.2,A(a),]
B1,intercepts.,During,B1's,return,,A2,grabs,B1's,face,mask.,B1,spins,free,and,advances,for,a,touchdown.,R
uling:,Team,B,may,elect,to,Try,from,A's,1,½,yard,line,or,may,enforce,on,the,kickoff.,,ANS,-,,[,True,:,2-16-
2d;,8-2-3;,9-4-3h,Penalty;,10-1-5;,10-5-1f,]
Team,A,scores,a,touchdown.,During,the,scoring,play,B1,held,A88.,RULING:,Team,A,may,keep,the,points,an
d,have,the,penalty,assessed,on,either,the,Try,or,succeeding,kickoff.,,ANS,-,,True,-,2-16-2d;,8-2-2;,9-2-
3c;,10-5-1f
Team,A,is,illegally,in,motion,at,the,snap.,B1,intercepts,and,returns,for,a,touchdown.,Ruling:,Team,B,may,el
ect,to,Try,from,A's,1,½,yard,line.,,ANS,-,,[,False,:,2-16-2i;,2-41-7;,10-4-2a,]
,•,The,foul,occurred,simultaneously,with,the,snap.,Therefore,,it,would,be,enforced,from,
,the,previous,spot,(snap),if,accepted.,B,must,decline,the,penalty,in,order,for,the,
,touchdown,to,count.
Runner,A2,is,about,to,score,a,touchdown,when,he,taunts,an,opponent,at,B's,2.,Ruling:,Touchdown,scores.
,If,B,accepts,,B's,only,option,is,for,Team,A,to,Try,from,B's,18.,,ANS,-,,[,False,:,2-41-10;,8-2-4;,9-5-
1a,Penalty;,10-4-5a,(NOTE);,10-5-1f,]
,•,The,2010,rule,change,now,allows,for,unportsmanlike,or,non-player,fouls,committed,by,
,either,team,during,a,touchdown-scoring,play,to,be,penalized,on,either,the,Try,or,on,
,the,'subsequent,kickoff'.
Several,substitutes,enter,Team,A's,huddle,between,downs.,One,of,the,replaced,players,does,not,leave,the
,huddle,until,after,the,play,is,called,and,the,huddle,breaks,five,seconds,later,with,players,moving,to,their,p
ositions.,Thereafter,,the,replaced,player,immediately,leaves,the,field,across,his,own,sideline.,RULING:,Leg
al,substitution,since,the,outgoing,substitute,left,immediately,after,the,huddle,broke.,,ANS,-,,[,False,:,3-7-
1;,Case,Book,3.7,COMMENT,2;,3.7.1,A,]
,,•,The,2010,rule,clarification,specifies,a,timeframe,of,3,seconds,for,a,replaced,player,to,
,begin,his,exit,from,the,field,once,he,is,notified,by,his,replacement.,It,pertains,to,both,
,teams,and,is,not,impacted,by,whether,a,team,huddles,or,not.,In,H.S.,football,there,is,
,NO,FOUL,for,'breaking,the,huddle,with,12,players'
Third,and,10,on,A's,35,yard,line.,A2,completes,a,pass,to,A3,at,midfield.,A3,advances,to,B's,end,zone.,Durin
g,the,run,an,excited,team,A,coach,is,observed,standing,just,inbounds,at,team,A's,25,without,affecting,the,
play.,Ruling:,the,score,stands.,Enforce,A's,penalty,on,A's,Try,attempt,or,subsequent,kickoff,,at,B's,option.,,
ANS,-,,True,-,2-41-10;,9-8-1;,10-4-5c;,10-5-1f
Runner,A2,advances,for,a,touchdown,and,then,B3,deliberately,hits,him,late,to,draw,a,flag.,Team,A,elects,t
he,penalty,on,the,subsequent,kickoff.,Then,,after,the,ready,for,the,Try,but,before,the,snap,,team,B,commi
ts,an,unsportsmanlike,act.,Ruling:,A's,option,to,Try,from,the,1½,or,to,kick,off,from,B's,30.,,ANS,-,,[,False,:,2-
16-2a;,4-2-2h;,8-2-5;,9-4-3b,5-1,Penalty;,10-1-5,],(09-367)
,•,Had,B's,unsportsmanlike,foul,occurred,before,the,'ready',signal,for,the,Try,,A,could,
,have,chosen,to,enforce,both,penalties,on,the,'subsequent,kick-off'.,Since,it,occurred,
,after,the,'ready',signal,,A,can,only,have,it,enforced,on,the,Try,and,kick,off,from,
,B's,45-yard,line,following,the,15-yard,penalty,for,B's,'late,hit'.,(2009,Changes)
During,the,first,quarter,,the,Line,Judge,bumps,into,a,home,team,substitute,who,is,standing,in,the,restricte
d,area,near,the,sideline,during,a,play.,A,15,yard,succeeding,spot,foul,is,administered.,Early,in,the,fourth,q
uarter,,the,Line,Judge,bumps,into,an,assistant,coach,of,the,home,team,in,the,same,area,during,play.,Rulin
g:,A,fifteen,yard,penalty,is,administered,at,the,succeeding,spot,and,the,assistant,coach,must,be,ejected,si
nce,it,was,the,second,such,team,foul.,,ANS,-,,[,False,:,9-4-8,Penalty;,10-4-5c;,Case,Book,9.4.8,A,]
,•,The,2010,rule,addition,states,that,on,the,2nd,'unintentional,non-player,contact,with,an,
,official',offense,,the,head,coach,is,the,one,who,will,be,ejected,because,he,is,
,expected,to,ensure,compliance,with,the,'restricted,area',provisions.
Team,A,is,trailing,by,8,points.,On,a,down,in,which,time,has,expired,for,the,fourth,quarter,,Team,A,scores,a,
touchdown.,B2,held,during,the,TD,play.,Ruling:,Team,A,has,the,option,of,taking,this,penalty,in,overtime.,,A
NS,-,,[,False,:,2-16-2d;,8-2-2;,Case,Book,8.2.2,C(a),]
,•,The,2008,rule,change,allowed,this,penalty,to,be,enforced,on,the,PAT,try,or,on,the
,'subsequent,kickoff'.,However,,since,there,is,no,'kickoff',to,start,OT,,the,
,,NATIONAL,FEDERATION,interpretation,states,that,this,foul,(end,of,4th,Qtr.),can,
,ONLY,be,enforced,on,the,PAT,try,,NOT,at,the,start,of,the,OT
Team,A,scores,a,touchdown,as,time,for,the,fourth,quarter,expires.,Team,A,ties,the,score,with,a,successful,
two,point,pass,play,but,B2,is,guilty,of,roughing,the,passer,on,the,conversion.,Ruling:,A,may,accept,the,pen
alty,at,the,start,of,overtime.,It,will,be,first,and,goal,at,the,5,if,A,is,on,offense,first,or,goal,to,go,at,the,25,if,B,
is,on,offense,first.,,ANS,-,,True,-,8-3-5b;,9-4-4
Penalties,which,may,carry,over,to,the,succeeding,spot,may,carry,over,to,overtime,from,the,previous,play,,
but,a,penalty,by,the,defense,which,skips,a,down,in,enforcement,(the,Try),to,the,subsequent,kickoff,,cann
ot,carry,over,to,overtime.,,ANS,-,,True,-,8-2-2,3,4;,8-3-5b;,8-4-3b;,10-4-5
On,a,touchdown,play,the,defense,was,guilty,of,roughing,the,passer,and,the,offense,elected,the,penalty,on
,the,subsequent,kickoff.,On,the,following,successful,kick,Try,,the,defense,roughed,the,kicker,and,the,offen
se,elected,to,keep,the,point.,Ruling:,On,the,subsequent,kickoff,,K,will,be,kicking,from,R's,45,yard,line.,,ANS
,-,,[,False,:,2-16-2e;,8-2-2;,8-3-5b;,9-4-4,5,Penalty;,10-2-4;,Case,Book,8.2.2,F,]
,•,Previously,,in,the,above,situation,,only,1,penalty,could,be,chosen,for,enforcement,on,
,the,'subsequent,kickoff',as,the,NATIONAL,FEDERATION,interpreted,this,to,be,a,
,'multiple,foul'.,A,2008,rule,change,currently,allows,for,a,foul,by,the,defense,during,a,
,touchdown-scoring,play,AND,a,foul,by,the,defense,during,the,PAT,try,to,both,be,
,penalized,on,the,'subsequent,kickoff'.,This,play,K,will,kick,from,R's,30-yard,line.
On,a,down,in,which,time,expires,for,the,second,quarter,,Team,A,scores,a,touchdown.,B2,held,during,the,T
D,play.,Team,A,has,the,option,of,taking,this,penalty,on,the,Try,or,second,half,kickoff.,,ANS,-,,True,-,2-16-
2d;,8-2-2
Runner,A2,is,advancing,the,football,when,B3,reaches,out,and,grabs,A2's,horse-
collar,with,one,hand.,B3,then,immediately,grasps,A2,around,the,chest,area,with,his,free,hand,and,release
s,the,horse-collar,before,making,the,tackle.,Ruling:,personal,foul,on,B3,for,grabbing,the,horse-
collar.,,ANS,-,,FALSE,NEW,RULE,True,9-4-3k
An,official's,time-out,can,be,called,by,the,referee,for,unusual,heat,or,humidity.,,ANS,-,,True,3-5-7g
, The,covering,official,shall,drop,a,bean,bag,to,mark,where,K,touches,a,grounded,free,kick,that,has,not,gone
,10,yards,nor,been,touched,by,R.,,ANS,-,,True,6-1-6
B1,intercepts,at,the,50.,The,covering,official,must,bean,bag,this,spot.,,ANS,-,,[,False,:,10-3-
3c;,La.,Officials,Manual:,]
,•,This,spot,is,not,a,possible,momentum,(inside,the,5-yard,line),or,enforcement,spot
,NO,BEAN,BAG,NEEDED.
Any,official,may,stop,the,clock,for,an,apparently,injured,player.,,ANS,-,,True,3-5-10a
The,referee,is,the,official,who,shall,order,the,clock,stopped,for,a,measurement.,,ANS,-,,True,3-5-7a
Wing,officials,should,always,feel,free,on,pass,plays,to,call,intentional,grounding,without,any,assistance,fro
m,another,official.,,ANS,-,,[,False,:,La.,Officials,Manual:,]
,•,Determining,whether,or,not,the,passer,has,'intentionally,grounded',the,ball,is,the,sole,
,judgment,of,the,Referee.,(Consultation,with,other,officials,is,permissible.)
The,referee,should,notify,the,head,coach,after,all,of,his,team's,timeouts,have,been,used.,,ANS,-,,True,-
Louisiana,Officials,Manual
After,third,down,,the,referee,should,delay,the,'ready',when,fourth,down,substitutes,are,entering,or,leavin
g,the,field,to,prepare,for,a,punt,or,field,goal,attempt.,,ANS,-,,[,False,:,La.,Officials,Manual:,],(09-43)
,•,The,Referee,should,mark,the,ball,'ready,for,play',with,a,consistent,cadence,
,throughout,the,game.
The,referee's,penalty,signal,for,'holding',or,'illegal,use,of,the,hands',is,the,same,signal.,,ANS,-
,,True,signal,42
After,a,touchdown,,the,Try,is,one,instance,when,the,referee,should,momentarily,delay,the,ready,to,allow,
the,teams,to,make,substitutions,and,decisions,concerning,their,options.,,ANS,-,,True,-
,Louisiana,Officials,Manual