QUIZ ANSWERS: 2008 WEEK #1


1. RULING: A 1/15 A39. The 5-yard penalty is enforced from the succeeding spot, A's 44. The foul occurred after the ready for play (2-2-4-a). The 40-second clock was running when the Umpire placed the ball and stepped away to his position. The penalty for any dead ball foul incurred after the ball is ready for play shall be enforced after the line to gain is established. The referee's signal would be to only start the game clock and is no longer a ready for play signal when the 40-second clock is running.


2. RULING: A 4/23 B33. The clock starts on the ready. If the penalty is accepted, the 5-yard penalty would be enforced from the spot of the foul, B's 26. The penalty will be declined since the out of bounds spot is more than five yards behind the enforcement spot. Rule 3-4-3 refers to the foul, not whether or not the penalty is accepted or declined. Rule 3-2-5-a-8 also applies.


3. RULING: B 1/10 B17. A player of Team B who has made a waving signal for a fair catch and does not touch the ball shall not block or foul an opponent during that down. Postscrimmage kick enforcement applies. The 15-yard penalty is enforced from the end of the kick, B's 32. The penalty would be ten yards if B22 did not signal for a fair catch.


4. RULING: Game ends. The final score is A21-B28. In 2007, the clock would have started on the snap. Penalty enforcement for Team B's foul, which allows Team A to snap the ball, trumps the fact that the clock was stopped to award a first down to Team B. It would behoove the officials to notify Team A's head coach that the game clock will start on the ready for play prior to the ready for play.


5. RULING: A 4/17 A33. It is not a foul when the passer, who is or has been outside the frame of the body of the normal tackle position toward a sideline, throws the ball so that it crosses the neutral zone or neutral zone extended. A legal forward pass has crossed the neutral zone when it first strikes the ground, a player, an official or anything beyond the neutral zone inbounds. It is reasonable to assume that these statements also apply to this illegal forward pass. The pass did not cross the neutral zone by definition. The penalty is loss of down at the spot of the foul.


6. RULING: B 1/10 B4. A33 commits an illegal touching violation on B's 8. The ball becomes dead when recovered by B23 on B's 6 after his fair catch signal. B23 commits a dead ball delay of game foul. Since this is a dead ball foul, Team B elects to take the ball at the spot of illegal touching, B's 8. The 5-yard penalty is then enforced.


7. RULING: Try ends. No score. A f/k A30.. Team B did not foul prior to the change of team possession. Therefore, the fouls offset, the down is not replayed and the try is over. The try would be replayed after penalty enforcement if Team B did not foul.


Rom Gilbert / rom.gilbert@sfcc.edu / August 26, 2008 / (q-0801a)