| Rules
Changes, Editorial Changes or Points of Emphasis for 2009: |
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1.
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If a penalty resulting in a safety occurs on the
last timed down of a period, the period is extended. |
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2.
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It is not illegal to grasp the opponent's chin
strap. |
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3.
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Players,
coaches, spectators and officials all play a vital role in the
promotion of good sportsmanship in high school football. |
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4.
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The
head coach of each team is not responsible for his team being on the
field for the mandatory three-minute warm-up period after halftime
intermission. |
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5.
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The
horse-collar tackle has been added to the list of illegal personal
contact fouls, regardless of where it occurs on the field. |
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6.
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Touching
of a face mask - with an open hand, for example, or in some other way -
is not a foul and should not be called. |
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7.
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The
clock shall start with the snap of when any free kick is touched, other
than first touching by K, if the clock has stopped because a fair catch
is made. |
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8.
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A
restricted area has been defined where a maximum of three coaches may
communicate with players and substitutes during live-ball
situations. |
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9.
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A
new lightning policy has been adopted by many sports medicine groups
and governing bodies, including the NFHS Sports Medicine Advisory
Committee. |
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10.
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If
the field of play has a logo in the center or at any other part of the
field of play, that logo should not distract from the visibility of the
required marks every five yards. |
| Authorized
Conferences: |
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11.
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If
one coach goes to the huddle for 30 seconds, another coach may then
confer for the time remaining as long as only one coach is in the
huddle at any given time. |
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12.
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An authorized conference may be held following a
try |
| Batting |
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13.
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A backward pass in flight may be batted in any
direction by either team. |
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14.
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Batting a ball in flight may add a new force to
the ball. |
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15.
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It is not a foul ball if a player contacts a
loose ball with his hand. |
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16.
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The penalty for illegal batting is 15 yards and
loss of down |
| Blocking: |
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17.
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The runner may be legally clipped. |
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18.
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Any player in the free blocking zone, at the time
of the snap, may block below the waist. |
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19.
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A team B player may use locked hands to ward off
an opponent who is blocking him or attempting to block him. |
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20.
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It is illegal use-of-hands foul if the runner
grasps a teammate. |
| Dead Ball: |
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21.
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A
legal, free or scrimmage kick that is not a scoring attempt does not
become dead until the ball touches something after it is behind R's
goal-line plane. |
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22.
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If the try is by kick, the ball becomes dead when
it is obvious the drop kick or place kick has failed, |
| Definitions: |
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23.
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The line of scrimmage for each team is determined
when the ball is marked ready for play. |
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24.
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If an official is out of bounds when he is
touched by a loose ball, the touching is ignored. |
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25.
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Fighting
is any attempt by a player or non-player to strike or engage a player
or non-player in a combative manner unrelated to football. |
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26.
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The succeeding spot is where the ball was last
snapped or free kicked. |
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27.
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The ball is live only during a down. |
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28.
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A drop kick is a legal kick by a player who drops
the ball and kicks it just before it has touched the ground. |
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29.
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Loss of down is the loss of the right to replay a
down. |
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30.
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Spearing is an act by a defensive player who
initiates contact with a ball carrier with the front of his
helmet. |
| Downs - New
Series: |
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31.
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The down is ended when the runner allows any part
of his person, other than hand or foot, to touch the ground. |
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32.
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When
A1 is downed beyond the line-to-gain, a new line-to-gain is not
established until the effect of any act which occurred during the down,
except a non-player or unsportsmanlike foul, is considered. |
| Equipment
Game - Field: |
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33.
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Officials
may use available television replay equipment to assist in making
certain critical decisions relating to the game. |
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34.
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An
unofficial auxiliary down indicator may be used, but it must be
operated approximately 2 yards outside the sideline (except in stadiums
where the total playing enclosure does not permit) opposite the
official line-to-gain and down indicators. |
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35.
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The referee is the final judge as to the legality
of the game ball. |
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36.
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The ball shall contain one set of either 10 or 14
evenly spaced laces. |
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37.
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Supplementary equipment to aid in game
administration may be used if authorized by the referee. |
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38.
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The
goal is a vertical plane midway between the sidelines extending
indefinitely above the crossbar and outer edges of the uprights and in
the same vertical plane as the inside edge of the end line. |
| Equipment
Player: |
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39.
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A tinted eyeshield is illegal. |
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40.
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Penalty-marker colored gloves are legal if
approved by the umpire. |
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41.
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The
head coach's verification that his players are legally equipped
includes a visible exterior warning label on the helmet regarding the
risk of injury. |
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42.
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Prior to the game, the umpire must check and
personally verify that all player equipment is legal. |
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43.
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Beginning
in 2012, players of the visiting team shall wear white jerseys that
have additional limitations as to how much color may be on its
jersey. |
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44.
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A player's towel may have a ball-drying product
applied to it that will affect the football. |
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45.
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Players of the same team can participate during
the same down while wearing identical numbers. |
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46.
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The
equipment that all players are required to wear shall be professionally
manufactured and not altered to decrease protection. |
| Fouls: |
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47.
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If B1 tackles A1, who is obviously not the
runner, it is defensive holding. |
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48.
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A live-ball foul and a dead-ball foul cannot be
combined to create a double foul. |
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49.
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The restrictions on players being in the team box
extend from the 35-yard line to the 35-yard line. |
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50.
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A non-player foul may influence the play in
progress. |
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51.
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When
his team is in scrimmage-kick formation, the snapper is given special
protection from a direct charge by an opponent until the snapper blocks
or further participates in the play. |
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52.
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An illegal shift is a foul at the
snap. |
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53.
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Tripping an opponent who is not the runner is
legal. |
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54.
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If a false start causes B to encroach, only the
false start is penalized. |
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55.
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If
a player is charged with an unsportsmanlike foul because of a prolonged
or excessive act, he must also be disqualified. |
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56.
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If
a replaced player is unable to leave the field prior to the snap, it is
an illegal substitution foul if he does not participate or affect
play. |
| Fundamentals
- Fundamental Statements: |
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57.
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No series can ever start on a down other than
first. |
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58.
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A handed ball beyond the neutral zone is
considered to be a pass. |
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59.
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A foul can cause the loss of the ball. |
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60.
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The distance penalty for any foul may be
declined. |
| Illegal
Participation: |
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61.
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It is illegal participation for a disqualified
player to re-enter the game. |
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62.
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If a substitute or replaced player influences the
play, it is illegal participation. |
| Illegal
Formation: |
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63.
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After
the ball is marked ready for play, each player of A who participated in
the previous down and each substitute for A must have been,
momentarily, between the 9-yard marks before the snap. |
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64.
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Of
the players of A who are not on their line at the snap, only one may
penetrate the vertical plane through the waistline of his nearest
teammate who is on his line. |
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65.
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An offensive player is on his line of scrimmage
when he complies with the position requirements of a
lineman. |
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66.
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A scrimmage formation requires a minimum of five
A players legally on their line at the snap. |
| Passing: |
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67.
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Interference by B may occur beyond, in or behind
the neutral zone. |
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68.
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A passer is a player who either throws a forward
pass or backward pass. |
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69.
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During an illegal forward pass, pass eligibility
restrictions do not apply. |
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70.
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Touching of a forward pass by B1 causes pass
interference restrictions to end and all A players to become
eligible. |
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71.
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If an illegal forward pass strikes the ground,
the ball remains live. |
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72.
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A player who is an eligible receiver at the snap
may become ineligible during the down. |
| Penalty
Enforcement: |
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73.
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The penalty for roughing the snapper is 15 yards
and also a first down. |
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74.
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Dead-ball fouls are administered seperately and
in order of their occurrence. |
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75.
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The penalty for an illegal forward pass is 10
yards and loss of down. |
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76.
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It is unsportsmanlike conduct for any player to
committ any act that tends to engender ill will. |
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77.
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If
a player commits an obviously unfair act that has no specific rules
coverage, the referee may enforce any penalty he considers
equitable. |
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78.
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If the head coach is ejected, the game must be
forfeited immediately. |
| Possesion: |
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79.
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A catch of an opponent's fumble or pass is called
a recovery. |
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80.
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Whan a ball is loose, it is in possession of the
team of the player who was last in possession. |
| Safety: |
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81.
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It
is a safety if R1, in an effort to block K1's field-goal attempt, leaps
high in the end zone and tips the ball between the uprights above the
crossbar. |
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82.
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It is a safety if A1 retreats into A's end zone
and fumbles the ball beyond the end line. |
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83.
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On kicks entering R's end zone, the determination
of force dictates whether it is a touchback or a safety. |
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84.
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The
team whose goal line is involved shall put the ball in play anywhere
between the inbounds line on its 20-yard line by a snap after a
touchback and by a free kick after a safety. |
| Scrimmage
Kicks: |
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85.
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If a scrimmage kick becomes dead inbounds with no
player in possession, it is awarded to R. |
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86.
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The
touching of a low scrimmage kick by any player is ignored if the
touching is in or behind the expanded neutral zone. |
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87.
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If a kick becomes dead in R's end zone, it is
always a safety or touchback. |
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88.
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During a scrimmage kick, the kicker remains a
kicker until the ball is in flight beyond the neutral zone. |
| Snap: |
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89.
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The snap begins when the snapper moves the ball
by tilting it on end during adjustments. |
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90.
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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. |
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91.
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After touching the ball following the ready for
play, the snapper may remove both hands from the ball. |
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92.
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An illegal snap causes the ball to remain
dead. |
| Time-outs: |
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93.
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The head coach may come onto the field and
request the nearest official to grant a time-out. |
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94.
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No single charged time-out shall exceed one
minute. |
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95.
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Charged team time-outs shall be reduced in length
if both teams are ready to play before the ready-for-play
signal. |
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96.
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The
ball shall be declared ready-for-play immediately when the team that
called the time-out is ready to resume play. |
| Timing: |
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97.
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A
clock stopped during a period for an official's time-out will start
with the ready-for-play signal unless a free-kick follows. |
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98.
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During a down, if time expires for a period and a
signal is sounded, the officials shall ignore the signal. |
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99.
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If
a free kick is repeated, the clock starts on the ready-for-play signal
if it had been started on the original kick. |
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100.
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A state association may establish guidelines to
use a running clock when a point differetial is reached. |
