Click here to show the answers
Rules
Changes or Emphasis for 2005 |
|
1.
|
Spearing involves an attempt to punish an
opponent by intentionally contacting the player with the helmet.
|
|
2.
|
Pass interference cannot occur when the pass is
clearly thrown away from the spot of the potential foul.
|
|
3.
|
It
is illegal substitution if a replaced player unsuccessfully attempts to
leave the field prior to the snap, whether or not the player
participates in or affects the play.
|
|
4.
|
The runner cannot commit a spearing foul.
|
|
5.
|
If substitute B12 enters the field during a
down but does not participate or influence the play, it is a nonplayer
foul.
|
|
6.
|
After the ball is read-for-play, each Team A
player must momentarily be within the 9-yard marks before the snap.
|
|
7.
|
Team A is limited to one legal forward pass per
down.
|
|
8.
|
A period shall not be extended when a foul
occurs that specifies a loss of down. |
| Authorized
Conferences |
|
9.
|
Any coach may request a time-out. |
|
10.
|
When a head coach chooses to coach from a box,
the assigned field coach may request a time-out. |
|
11.
|
Following
an incomplete forward pass, if the coach requests a coach-referee
conference regarding a rule interpretation on the previous play which
leads to the referee altering his ruling, the clock will start on the
ready-for-play signal. |
|
12.
|
If
after using three time-outs in the half the coach asks for a
coach-referee conference to review a possible misapplication of a rule,
his team will be penalized for delay if there is no change in the
ruling. |
| Batting |
|
13.
|
Batting is an intentional act. |
|
14.
|
Any
pass in flight may be batted in any direction by an eligible receiver
unless it is a backward pass batted forward by the passing team. |
|
15.
|
Batting a scrimmage kick in or behind the
neutral zone by R, in an effort to block the kick, is legal. |
|
16.
|
B1 may not legally bat a ball that is in
possession of A1. |
| Blocking |
|
17.
|
During a free kick, the kicker may not be
blocked until after the kicker has advanced seven yards beyond the
free-kick line. |
|
18.
|
A receiver who has given a fair-catch signal
shall not block until the kick has ended.
|
|
19.
|
During
a kick from K's 40-yard line, the kicker may not be blocked if he is
attempting to gain possession of the kickoff, which is bouncing at K's
45-yard line. |
|
20.
|
A receiver who has given a valid or invalid
fair catch signal may not block an opponent during the down. |
| Dead Ball |
|
21.
|
The dead-ball spot is the spot under the
foremost point of the ball when it becomes dead by rule. |
|
22.
|
Encroachment is a dead-ball foul. |
|
23.
|
If
at the snap a teammate is not in position to kick, the ball becomes
dead if the place-kick holder catches the snap with a knee(s) on the
ground. |
|
24.
|
A
free kick or scrimmage kick, which is a scoring attempt, becomes dead
if while in flight it touches a K player in R's end zone or after
breaking the lane of R's goal line, the scoring attempt had apparently
failed. |
| Definitions |
|
25.
|
A loose ball is out of bounds if it touches
anything, including a player or game official, who is out of
bounds. |
|
26.
|
A substitute becomes a player upon entering the
huddle or when positioned in a formation. |
|
27.
|
When
a runner is touching inbounds, but the ball is beyond the sideline
plane, the goal line includes the extension beyond the sidelines. |
|
28.
|
An offensive player is
considered to be on his scrimmage line when he is within 1 yard of his
line of scrimmage. |
| Downs-New
Series |
|
29.
|
The line-to-gain is the yard line established
when a new series (first down) occurs. |
|
30.
|
The down does not end when an illegal forward
pass is simultaneously caught by opponents. |
|
31.
|
When
a new series is started after a fourth down incomplete forward pass,
the ball is placed at the previous spot so the rear point becomes the
foremost point. |
|
32.
|
The down does not end when a runner is held so
that the runner's forward progress is stopped. |
| Equipment:
Game-Field |
|
33.
|
An unofficial auxiliary down indicator is
required. |
|
34.
|
It is recommended that goal lines be marked in
a color that contrasts with other field markings. |
|
35.
|
All yardage chain-and-down indicator rods must
have flat lower ends covered by a protective cap. |
|
36.
|
The
goal line is entirely in the end zone and the edge toward the field of
play, and its vertical plane is the actual goal line. |
| Equipment:
Player |
|
37.
|
Failure to properly wear required equipment during
a down is a foul that carries a 5-yard penalty. |
|
38.
|
A back may not wear a jersey with a number 50
through 79. |
|
39.
|
If the helmet of the tackler
comes off in making contact with the runner, the ball becomes dead
immediately. |
|
40.
|
Jerseys may not be altered to produce a
knot-like protrusion or a tear-away type jersey. |
|
41.
|
Players are not permitted to wear jewelry,
even if the jewelry poses no danger to opponents and is made of soft
material. |
|
42.
|
If illegal equipment is found on an incoming
substitute, correction must be made before the substitute can
participate. |
|
43.
|
The umpire has authority to declare equipment
illegal if he determines it is inappropriate equipment. |
|
44.
|
Gloves, without the (NF/NCAA specifications)
label or stamp, may be worn if made of unaltered plain cloth. |
| Force |
|
45.
|
A new force can be given to a fumble after it
has touched the ground. |
|
46.
|
A new force can be added to a kick in
flight. |
| Fouls |
|
47.
|
Generally, if each team commits a live-ball
foul (other than unsportsmanlike) during the down, it is a double
foul. |
|
48.
|
If B1 intercepts and is downed; and then A1 and
A2 both pile on, it is a multiple foul. |
|
49.
|
Any foul that occurs after an inadvertent
whistle is a dead-ball foul. |
|
50.
|
It is legal for an opponent to throw himself
against the back of the runner's legs. |
|
51.
|
It is an unsportsmanlike foul if any player
attempts to focus attention
upon himself with any delayed, excessive or prolonged act. True |
|
52.
|
Tripping an opponent who is not the runner is
legal. |
|
53.
|
Illegal motion is a foul at the snap. |
|
54.
|
It is an unsportsmanlike foul if disqualified
A1 re-enters to participate. |
|
55.
|
An attempt by B to interfere with A's signals
prior to the snap is a live-ball foul. |
|
56.
|
An illegal shift is a foul at the snap. |
| Fundamentals
- Fundamental Statements |
|
57.
|
A handed ball beyond the neutral zone is
considered to be a pass. |
|
58.
|
No live-ball foul causes the ball to become
dead. |
|
59.
|
A dead ball may become live only by a legal
snap or free kick. |
|
60.
|
No foul causes loss of the ball. |
| Illegal
Participation |
|
61.
|
Touching of a low scrimmage kick is ignored if
the touching occurs in or behind the expanded neutral zone. |
|
62.
|
It is illegal participation
if a replaced player attempts but fails to leave the field prior to the
snap. |
| Illegal
Position |
|
63.
|
A Team A player is a back if the player's head
or foot does not break
the plane of an imaginary line drawn parallel to the line of scrimmage
through the waistline of the nearest teammate who is on the line. |
|
64.
|
If
at the snap, A does not have at least five players on the line numbered
50-79, it is illegal numbering, unless A sets or shifts into a
scrimmage kick formation. |
|
65.
|
If quarterback A1 takes a position with hands
underneath a lineman, other than the snapper, it is illegal position at
the snap. |
|
66.
|
One
of the requirements for A1 being on the line is that A1 face his
opponent's goal line with shoulders approximately parallel
thereto. |
| Passing |
|
67.
|
After the pass is thrown, provided the passer
is standing still or
fading back, defensive players shall make an effort to avoid charging
into him. |
|
68.
|
A forward underhand pitch, behind the neutral
zone from A1 to A2, is an incomplete pass if not caught. |
|
69.
|
Prior
to the change of possession, any player of Team A may throw a legal
forward pass, provided both feet of the passer are in or behind the
neutral zone when the ball is released. |
|
70.
|
A backward pass out of bounds is an illegal
pass. |
|
71.
|
The absence of eligible offensive receiver(s)
in the immediate area of
an incomplete forward pass is one guideline in determining intentional
grounding. |
|
72.
|
A pass thrown forward after change of
possession during the down is an illegal forward pass. |
| Penalty
Enforcement |
|
73.
|
If a foul occurs during a loose-ball play, the
basic spot is the spot of the foul. |
|
74.
|
If R1 gives an invalid fair-catch signal and R2
catches the scrimmage kick, R may retain possession if the penalty is
accepted. |
|
75.
|
A coach who has been ejected may not have
further direct or indirect contact with his team during the remainder
of the game. |
|
76.
|
A loss of down is a part of some 15-yard
penalties but not any 5-yard penalties. |
|
77.
|
Defensive pass interference and roughing the
passer are the only fouls by Team B that award an automatic first
down. |
|
78.
|
The basic spot of enforcement for a foul during
a loose-ball play, other than a post-scrimmage kick foul, is the
previous spot. |
| Possession |
|
79.
|
A loose ball is not in possession of either
team. |
|
80.
|
If
a free kick from K's 40-yard line crosses the 50-yard line in flight,
but the wind blows it back to K's 45 where it touches the ground, the
ball belongs to K if K1 recovers. |
| Safety |
|
81.
|
On kicks entering R's end zone, the
determination of force dictates whether it is a touchback or a
safety. |
|
82.
|
A backward pass on A's 20 batted in flight by
B1 and recovered by A1 in A's end zone is not a safety because of the
new force. |
|
83.
|
When a live ball becomes dead in player
possession in that player's end zone, it is always a safety. |
|
84.
|
A
safety will be scored when an offensive player commits any foul for
which the penalty is accepted and enforcement is from a spot in his end
zone. |
| Scrimmage
Kicks |
|
85.
|
If a defensive player bumps into the
kick-holder and causes him to fall backwards, it is a 5-yard
penalty. |
|
86.
|
If R1 is blocked into the kicker by K1, it is
not roughing the kicker. |
|
87.
|
The neutral zone may not be expanded into the
end zone during a scrimmage kick. |
|
88.
|
All roughing-the-kicker fouls are penalized
from the spot of the foul. |
| Snap |
|
89.
|
It is an illegal snap if the ball does not
leave the hand(s) of the snapper. |
|
90.
|
If
snapper A2 removes both hands from the ball following the
ready-for-play and B1 dives on the ball, it is an illegal snap by A1
and encroachment by B1. |
|
91.
|
Following adjustment, the snapper may not lift
or move the ball other than in a legal snap. |
|
92.
|
The snapper may lift the ball for lateral
rotation but may not rotate the ball end-for-end or change the location
of the ball. |
| Time-outs |
|
93.
|
A conference may not be held during a
television time-out. |
|
94.
|
An official's time-out can be called for
unusual heat or humidity situations. |
|
95.
|
If an official calls time-out for an apparently
injured player and
after examination it is determined the player is not injured, the
player need not leave the game. |
|
96.
|
An official's time-out may follow a charged
time-out if it is for the continuance of a coach-referee
conference. |
| Timing |
|
97.
|
The clock will start with the snap on a
scrimmage down following a fair catch. |
|
98.
|
The clock does not start during a free kick at
the time of first touching by K. |
|
99.
|
If stopped, the clock will start with the
ready-for-play signal for
other than a free kick when the action that caused the down to end did
not also cause the clock to be stopped. |
|
100.
|
If
A1 intentionally grounds a forward pass in an effort to save loss of
yardage, after enforcement the referee shall start the clock with the
ready-for-play signal. |
