2010 NFHS Rules PresentationReview 1

Scott M. Aronowitznfoarules@gmail.com

(904) 718-1317

Kicking Game

If a kick is muffed, the status of the ball is unchanged and it remains a kick.Therefore, if it is muffed beyond the neutral zone and K recovers, K cannot advance.

Example

K13 punts from his 25 yard line and R23 signals for a fair catch at his 40. R23 muffs the kick and it bounces to R’s 35 where K88 picks it up and runs for a touchdown.RULING: After the ball is kicked, it remains a kick until any player obtains possession or it is otherwise ruled dead. In this case, the ball remained a kick after R23’s muff and did not end until K88 recovered. By rule, K cannot advance a kick recovered beyond the neutral zone. Therefore, it is K’s ball, 1st and 10 at R’s 35 yard line.

Free Kick Out of Bounds

If a free kick goes out of bounds after R touches it, R puts it in play at the inbounds spot.If a free kick goes out of bounds before R touches it, it is a foul by K and R has three options:

K kicks following a five-yard penalty;Decline the penalty and take ball at inbounds spot; orPut the ball in play 25 yards beyond K’s free kick line (normally R’s 35 yard line).

Out of Bounds

Rule 2-29-1: a player is out of bounds when any part of his person is touching anything…that is on or outside the sideline or end line.Rule 2-29-3 : a loose ball is out of bounds when it touches anything, including a player or game official that is out of bounds.

Example

R24 is standing with one foot out of bounds when he receives K’s free kick before or after it touches the ground inbounds. When R24 touches the ball it is (a) beyond the sideline plane, or (b) over the field of play.RULING: Foul by Team K for a free kick out of bounds in both (a) and (b). The ball is out of bounds when R24 touches it because R24 is out of bounds. It never touched an R player inbounds.

Illegal Kicks and Enforcement

An illegal kick is a kick made in a legal manner but disallowed because of when or where it is made.No player shall intentionally kick the ball other than as a free or scrimmage kick (9-7-1).

Place kick, drop kick, or punt.

An illegal kick is treated as a fumble.The penalty for an illegal kick is 15 yards from the spot of the foul.

Ball Snapped Over Kicker’s Head Into K’s End Zone

K’s Direction

G

K Has Forced the Ball Into Its End Zone

K’s Direction

G

K is Thus Responsible for the Ball Being in Its End Zone

K’s Direction

G

K Kicks the Ball Out of the End Zone

K’s Direction

G

This is an Illegal Kick and the Enforcement Spot is the End Zone

K’s Direction

G

The Result of the Play is Also a SafetyThe Offended Team Has No Choice

K’s Direction

G

The Succeeding Spot is K’s 20 Yard Line, Where K Will Kick to R

K’s Direction

2 0G

There is No Option to Apply Both the Safety and the Penalty for Illegal Kick

K’s Direction

2 0G

What If the Foul Occurred at K’s 4 Yard Line?

K’s Direction

2 0G

Answer

R now has a choice: take the result of the play, which is a safety, or enforce the penalty half the distance to K’s goal from the 4 and replay the down.

Enforcement After a SafetyThe result of the play is a safety because K was responsible for the ball being in its own end zone by snapping it there (8-5-1). An illegal kick is a kick made in a legal manner but disallowed because of when or where it is made.The play was a loose-ball play. The basic spot on a loose-ball play is the previous spot. Under the all-but-one principle, fouls that occur behind the basic spot by the team in possession - in this case, K - are enforced from the spot of the foul, the place where K illegally kicked the ball.Under Rule 10-5-4, if the offensive team commits a foul for which the penalty is accepted and measurement is from on or behind its goal line, it is a safety. On the play in question, the it is a safety by result and by enforcement, so there is no option. The succeeding spot is K's 20 yard line, where K will free kick to R. There is no further enforcement unless a dead-ball foul occurs after the play.Rules 8-2 and 8-4 specifically provide for carryover enforcement only on plays in which touchdowns and field goals are scored, respectively. Rule 8-5 is silent on any such enforcement for plays in which a safety is scored.

Sideline Management

Rule 9-4-8: Unintentional contact in the restricted area while the ball is live.

It is a 15-yard penalty for the first offense.If there is a second offense, the head coach is disqualified in addition to the 15-yard penalty.

Sideline Management

NOTE: this is distinguished from Rule 9-8-3, which governs being in the restricted area during a live ball.

First offense: warning.Second offense: 5-yard penalty.Each subsequent offense: 15-yard penalty.

Sideline Management

Rules 9-4-8 and 9-8-3 are mutually exclusive. The fact that a 15-yard penalty is enforced for unintentional contact does not affect the penalty sequence for non-contact violations of the restricted area.