NFHS FOOTBALL CASE PLAYS - RULE 4 (BALL IN
PLAY, DEAD BALL, AND OUT OF BOUNDS)
QUESTIONS ANSWERED CORRECTLY.
4.1.5,SITUATION:
A,forward,pass,strikes:,(a),a,game,official,standing,inbounds,,after,which,it,rebounds,into,the,air,and,is,cau
ght,by,A1,or,B1;,or,(b),a,dog,or,a,spectator,inbounds.,ANS,-
RULING:,In,(a),,A1,or,B1,has,caught,a,live,ball.,Nothing,has,occurred,to,cause,the,ball,to,become,dead.,In,(
b),,the,ball,becomes,dead,immediately,and,is,administered,under,the,provisions,of,the,inadvertent-
whistle,rule,with,a,replay,of,the,down.,(4-2-2e,,4-2-3a)
4.2.2,SITUATION,A:
K1,has,one,knee,on,the,ground,to,hold,for,an,apparent,field-
goal,attempt.,K2,is,in,position,to,kick.,K1,catches,the,snap,and:
(a),places,the,ball,which,is,kicked,by,K2;,or(b),rises,and,either,runs,or,passes;,or(c),without,rising,,flips,the,
ball,to,K2,who,attempts,to,run.,ANS,-
RULING:,Legal,in,(a),and,(b).,In,(c),,the,ball,becomes,dead,immediately,when,K1,tosses,it,to,K2,while,K1,ha
s,his,knee,on,the,ground.,(4-2-2a,Exception)
4.2.2,SITUATION,B:
During,a,try,K1,,who,is,apparently,a,place-
kick,holder,,receives,the,snap,with,one,knee,on,the,ground,and,places,the,ball,for,a,kick.,Just,as,K2,comes,f
orward,to,kick,the,ball,,K1,lifts,the,ball,,rises,and:
(a),throws,a,forward,pass,to,K3,in,the,end,zone;,or(b),carries,the,ball,into,the,end,zone;,or(c),starts,to,run,,
fumbles,and,the,ball,is,recovered,by,K4,who,advances,into,the,end,zone;,or(d),fumbles,and,it,is,recovered,
by,R1;,or(e),takes,several,steps,and,then,drops,to,one,knee,to,place,it,for,a,kick.,ANS,-
RULING:,Successful,try,in,(a),,(b),and,(c).,The,ball,remains,live,and,may,be,advanced,since,the,place-
kick,holder,had,his,knee,in,contact,with,the,ground,at,the,time,of,the,snap,and,a,teammate,was,in,positio
n,to,kick.,In,(d),,the,try,ended,with,the,recovery,and,R1,may,not,advance.,In,(e),,the,ball,is,dead,immediate
ly,when,K1's,knee,touches,the,ground,after,rising,with,the,ball,in,his,possession.,(4-2-2a)
4.2.2,SITUATION,C:
At,the,snap,,K1,is,in,position,to,kick,and,K2,is,in,position,to,hold,for,a,place,kick,with,one,knee,on,the,groun
d.,The,snap,is,high,or,bounces,once,and,it,is,necessary,for,K2,to,lift,his,knee,off,the,ground,in,order,to,catc
h,or,recover,the,ball.,K2,catches,the,snap,and:
, (a),immediately,drops,to,one,knee,and,places,the,ball,for,a,kick;,or(b),immediately,drops,to,his,knees,and,t
hen,rises,and,passes,the,ball;,or(c),takes,several,steps,and,then,drops,to,his,knees,to,place,the,ball;,or(d),t
akes,several,steps,and,fumbles,the,ball,which,is,subsequently,recovered,and,advanced,by,K1,or,K2.,ANS,-
RULING:,The,ball,remains,live,in,(a),,(b),and,(d).,In,(c),,the,ball,is,dead,when,K2's,knee,touches,the,ground,,
because,he,did,not,go,back,down,immediately,after,catching,or,recovering,the,errant,snap.,In,(d),,the,adv
ance,by,K1,or,K2,is,legal.,(4-2-2a,Exception)
4.2.2,SITUATION,D:
K1's,free,kick,or,scrimmage,kick,hits,the,ground,at,R's,10-yard,line,and,bounces,into,R's,end,zone.,ANS,-
RULING:,The,ball,became,dead,immediately,when,it,broke,the,plane,of,R's,goal,line.
4.2.2,SITUATION,E:
With,fourth,and,goal,from,R's,20-
yard,line,,K1,attempts,a,field,goal.,The,attempt,is,above,the,crossbar,level,,but,is,just,wide,of,the,left,uprig
ht.,ANS,-
RULING:,The,ball,becomes,dead,immediately,when,the,covering,official,determines,the,attempt,is,unsucc
essful,and,the,ball,has,broken,the,plane,of,R's,goal,line.,(4-2-2d(2))
4.2.2,SITUATION,F:
K1,punts,from,midfield,and,R1,gives,a,fair-catch,signal,at,R's,10-
yard,line.,R1,muffs,the,catch,and,the,ball,bounces,toward,R's,end,zone.
(a),R2,recovers,at,the,1-
yard,line,and,his,momentum,takes,him,into,the,end,zone,where,he,is,tackled;,or(b),R3,recovers,and,is,dow
ned,on,R's,2-yard,line;,or(c),K2,recovers,and,is,downed,on,R's,5.,ANS,-RULING:,In,(a),,it,is,R's,ball,on,the,1-
yard,line,because,the,ball,became,dead,when,R2,recovered,following,the,fair-
catch,signal.,In,(b),,it,is,R's,ball,on,the,2,and,in,(c),it,is,K's,ball,on,the,5-yard,line.
4.2.2,SITUATION,G:
K1's,punt,on,fourth,and,10,is,from,his,own,20-
yard,line.,The,kick,is,high,and,short.,R1,gives,a,valid,signal,beyond,the,neutral,zone,and,muffs,the,kick.,The,
ball,rebounds,behind,the,neutral,zone,where:,(a),K1,recovers,the,ball,and,advances,to,his,18-
yard,line;,or,(b),K1,falls,on,the,ball,at,his,15-yard,line;,or,(c),R2,falls,on,the,ball,at,K's,9-
yard,line;,or,(d),R2,recovers,the,ball,at,K's,9-yard,line,and,is,tackled,immediately.,ANS,-
RULING:,Legal,advance,by,K1,in,(a).,It,will,be,an,automatic,first,down,for,K,in,both,(a),and,(b),because,R1,t
ouched,the,kick,beyond,the,neutral,zone.,In,(c),,it,is,R's,ball,first,and,goal,at,K's,9-
yard,line.,In,(d),,the,signal,by,R1,causes,the,ball,to,become,dead,at,the,spot,of,recovery.,The,covering,offici
