The punter muffs the long-snap, recovers the ball and startsrunning to avoid the pressure.  When he gets to the B-45, he punts the ball to the returner, who fair catches the kick at the B-8.

What is your ruling?

Answer
Illegal kick.
4/12 on the A-46.
Rule 6-3-10-c.

This answer is incorrect.  The penalty for Illegal Kick includes Loss of Down, so the correct answer is:

B's ball, 1/10 on the A-46.

Thank you to Tommy Thordarson from Norway.

Question
Live ball fouls do not usually kill the play.

In most situations the offended team gets to close between the result of the play or the foul. However, in two situations, the foul kills the play.

Name the 2 live ball fouls that kill the play.

Answer
- Illegal kick
- Return kick.

This is a little technical, but the first option should be a scrimmage kick made beyond the line of scrimmage.
Both this and a return kick are illegal kicks.

Thanks to Maarten de Boer from Holland.

Question
Name the 5 situations where blocking below the waist is not legal.

Answer
- Towards the original position of the ball
- Against an eligible A receiver beyond the LOS
- During a free kick or a scrimmage kick from a scrimmage kick formation
- After a change of possession
- Against a player in position to receive a backward pass

The rule regarding blocking below the waist has been completely rewritten in 2011. BBW is now illegal except in a few situations, so this question is now obsolete.

Question
4/8 on the B-10.

A is behind by 2 points, 47 seconds remain in the game and the clock is running.  A lines up in a scrimmage kick formation, but does not snap the ball before the play clock runs out.  24 seconds remain.

What is your ruling?

Please include status of the game clock.

Answer
Delay of game.
4/13 on the B-15.  Clock starts on the snap.

With the new (2011) 10 second runoff rule, the status of the clock will depend on B's choice and wether A has any timeouts left.

Question
10 seconds remain in the half. A has just completed a long pass to the B-7 and is hustling up to spike the ball. All 11 A-players are set as B97 jumps forward and he is over the ball when tackle A77 directly in front of him flinches. The ball had not yet been declared ready for play.

What is your ruling?

Answer
Delay of game.
1/Goal on the B-12.
Rule 2-18-2.

The answer is incorrect.  There is no foul here, since you cannot commit DOF or FST before the ball is declared ready. Had the ball been snapped before the ready for play, it would have been a Delay of Game, resulting in 1/10 on the B-12. Obviously, this would be very difficult to have happen with a 40 second play clock.

Thank you to Krzysztof Walentynowicz from Poland and Steve Tonkinson from England.

Question
What do the fouls in rule 9-1-2 have in common?

Answer
The fouls in rule 9-1-2 are all personal fouls.

Due to a restructuring of rule 9 in 2011, the personal fouls are now spread out throughout rule 9-1.

Question
4/22 on the B-23.

5 seconds remain in the game and team A is behind by 2 points. A lines up i a field goal formation and gets ready to kick the potential game winner. Before the ball is snapped, B55 positions himself on the shoulders of teammate B75 to block the field goal attempt. The holder gets confused by this so he muffs the snap and the ball is recovered by B21 on the B-30.

What is your ruling?

Answer
Unsportmanlike conduct.
The play doesn't count. This is a dead ball foul.  4/7 on the B-8.
Rule 9-3-5-a.

The answer is incorrect. The enforcement should be half distance to the goalline.

Thank you to Krzysztof Walentynowicz from Poland and Steve Tonkinson from England.

The ball is muffed by the punt returner on the B-6 and the ball rolls to the B-10 where A87 bats the ball into B'2 endzone. Players from "both teams" muff the ball in the endzone and finally B19 recovers the ball in the endzone where he is tackled by A48.

The words "both teams" should be inserted between the words "from" and "muff".

Question
1/10 on the A-22.

the QB takes the snap and pitches the ball towards the running back on a sweep to the left.  The RB muffs the ball on the A-15.  The ball rolls to the A-17 where it hits a patch of mud and comes to rest.  A LB then muffs the ball in an attempt to recover it and the ball rolls into the endzone, where another LB recovers it.

What is your ruling?

Answer
Touchback.

1/10 on the A-20.
Rule 8-7-2.

This answer is incorrect.  The correct answer is Touchdown for B.

Thank you to Krzysztof Walentynowicz from Poland and Steve Tonkinson from England.

Question
PAT on the B-3.

The QB takes the snap and rolls out to his right, looking for an open receiver in the endzone.  His pass to the tight end is intercepted in the endzone and returned 105 yards to the A endzone.  During the play, but after the interception, the offensive tackle held a defensive lineman on the B-4 yardline.

What is your ruling?

Answer
Offensive holding.
Declined.
No score.
Rule 8-3-4.  

This answer is partly incorrect.  It is - by definition - defensive holding and it is declined, but since B did not foul, they keep their two points.

Question
Second possession series in extra periods.  3/2 on the B-17.

The QB is under heavy pressure in the pocket, but manages to get a pass off to the tight end, which is intercepted by the strong safety on the B-5.  the safety returns the ball all the way to the A-3, where he is finally tackled.  An offensive guar held a linebacker on the B-20 after the interception.

What is your ruling?

Answer
Defensive holding.
Declined. The possession series is over.
Rule 3-1-3.

 Naturally, this is an offensive holding, but it is still declined and the series is over.

Thanks to Bo Thygesen, Denmark for pointing this out.

Question
Second posseion series in extra periods.

2/12 on the B-27.

An eligible receiver is running a pattern across the field as he is held by the middle linebacker on the B-20 yardline.  Subsequently, the QB attempts a pass into the endzone, which falls incomplete.

What is your ruling?

Answer
Defensive holding.
Declined. The posseion series is over.
Rule 3-1-3.

This is defensive holding, but it is not declined.  It will be accepted and A will get 1/10 on the B-17.

Question
4/1 on the B-42.
A running back runs a sweep to the right.

The right guard blocks the nose tackle high at the same time as the right offensive tackle blocks him low.  This happens on the B-43 yardline.  The running back is tackled on the B-37 yardline.

What is your ruling?

Please include status of the game clock.

Answer
Chop block.
4/16 on the A-43.

The game clock will start on the ready for play.

Rules 2-3-3 and 9-1-2-m.

With the restructuring of the rulebook (2011), the rule reference should be 2-3-3 and 9-1-10.

Question
4/3 on the B-21.

It's late in the 3rd quarter and A is ahead by 2 points.  A, lined up in a scrimmage kick formation, lets the play clock expire.

The game clock was running.

What is your ruling?

Please include the status of the game clock.

Answer
4/8 on the B-26.
The game clock will start on the ready.
Rule 3-4-3.

The game clock will actually start on the snap and not the ready.

The score is 20-21, 4 seconds remain in the game and neither team has any timeouts left.  The QB drops back in the pocket.  As he is looking for an open receiver he is sacked at the B-45 by a blitzing linebacker by the facemask.  The center and the split end both wore moisture absorbing towels.

What is your ruling?

Answer
A 1/10 on the B-27.
Facemask by B and illegal equipment by A.
Rule 1-4-5.

The towel rule has been changed to make it legal for two linemen to wear them at the same time (2011). 

1/10 on the B-22.  Untimed down.

Rule 1-4-6.

Question
4/7 on the B-45.

On the first play of the 4th quarter, the QB completes a legal forward pass to a wide receiver at the B-35l where he is hit and fumbles the ball.  A scramble ensues and players from both teams muff the ball which goes out of bounds at the B-40.  The QB was roughed after he released the pass.

What is your ruling?

Answe r
A 1/10 on the B-20.
Roughing the passer.
Rule 9-1-2-l.

With the restructuring of the rulebook (2011), the rule reference should be 9-1-9

Question
1/10 on the A-20.

The QB completes a pass to a receiver at the A-32.  The receiver advances to the A-40 where he fumbles the ball, which is recovered on the A-45 by the grounded tight end.

The referee calls a defensive end for RTP on the play.

What is your ruling?

Answer
A 1/10 on the B-40.
Roughing the passer.
Rule 9-1-2-l.

With the restructuring of the rulebook (2011), the rule reference should be 9-1-9.

Question
1/10 on the A-20.

The QB completes a pass to an open receiver at the A-32.  The receiver advances to the A-40 where he fumbles the ball, which rolls out of bounds on the A-35.  The referee calls a defensive end for RTP on the play.  30 seconds remain in a tied game.

What is your ruling?

Please include status of the game clock.

Answer
A 1/10 on the B-45.
Roughing the passer.
Rule 9-1-2-l.

The game clock will start on the snap.

With the restructuring of the rulebook (2011), the rule reference should be 9-1-9. 

Question 
2/17 on the B-23. 17 seconds remain in the 2nd quarter.The score is tied 17-17.

The QB drops back in the pocket looking for an open receiver.  Unable to find one and realizing that time is running out, he spikes the ball.  The QB was on the B-30 but not under duress.  7 seconds remain in the half.

What is your ruling?

Answer
Illegal forward pass.
3/29 on the B-35.
Rule 7-3-2

This question falls under the new rule (2011) regarding the 10 second runoff.  B will want to accept the runoff and A will block it with a timeout if they have any left, to get a chance to run another play.

Question
2/9 on the B-33.
The QB is running an option play to his left.

He pitches the ball back to a running back, who bats the ball forward from the B-37 to the B-29 where the ball is recovered by the split end, who is tackled on the B-25.

What is your ruling?  

Answer 
Illegal batting.
3/1 on the B-25 or 2/28 on the A-48.
Rule 9-4.  

The penalty for Illegal Batting has been changed from 15 to 10 yard. So the correct answer is now 3/1 on the B-25 or 2/23 on the B-47.

Question
2/4 on the A-49.

A running back runs the ball to the B-30 where he fumbles the ball and a mad scramble ensues.  To keep an opponent from recovering the ball the full back bats the ball from the B-29 to the B-25 where the center falls on the ball.

What is your ruling?

Answer
Illegal batting.
1/10 on the B-45.
Rule 9-4.

Illegal batting is now(2011)  a 10 yard penalty, so the correct answer is now 1/10 on the B-40.

Question
2/4 on the A-49.

A running back runs the ball to the B-30 where he fumbles the ball and a mad scramble ensues.  To keep and opponent from recovering the ball the full back bats the ball from the B-29 to the B-25 wher ethe middle linebacker falls on the ball.

What is your ruling?

Answer
No foul.
B's ball on the B-25.
Rule 9-4.

There is actually a foul for illegal batting by the full back, but this foul is declined by B,  so that they can keep the ball.

Question
3/16 on the A-34.

The QB throws a pass to the split end who runs to the 50 before he is tackled.

The QB is roughed after the pass.

What is your ruling?

Answer
Roughing the passer.
1/10 on the B-35.
Rule 9-1-2-l.  

With the restructuring of the rulebook (2011), the rule reference should be 9-1-9. 

Thanks to Gerhard Mayrhofer , Austria.  

Question
3/16 on the A-34.

The QB rolls out to his left looking for an open receiver.  As he gets to the A-36 he throws a pass to the tight end, who catches the ball on the A-40, where he is tackled. 

After the pass, the QB is contacted by a defensive end.  The contact is severe enough for roughing the passer, but not severe enough for a personal foul.

What is your ruling?

Answer
Illegal forward pass.
4/19 on the A-31.
Rules 9-1-2-I and 7-3-2.

A rule change has made the correct answer Offsetting fouls.  Illegal forward pass and intentional grounding.

Rule 2-27-5 now states that a passer is anyone who throws a forward pass.  The pass no longer has to be legal.

Answer
Roughing the passer.
1/10 on the A-34.
Rule 9-1-2-l.  

With the restructuring of the rulebook (2011), the rule reference should be 9-1-9. 

Thanks to Gerhard Mayrhofer , Austria.  

Question
3/18 on the B-40.

The QB throws a pas to a receiver who catches the ball at the B-30 and runs to the B-10 where he fumbles the ball as he is being tackled.  The ball rolls out of bounds on the B-15.  The QB was roughed on the play.

What is your ruling?

Answer
Roughing the passer.
1/Goal on the B-5.
Rule 9-1-2-l

With the restructuring of the rulebook (2011), the rule reference should be 9-1-9. 

Question
3/18 on the B-40.

The QB throws a pass to a receiver who catches the ball at the B-30 and runs to the B-10 where he fumbles the ball as he is being tackled.  The ball rolls to the B-16 where it is recovered by another receiver.  The QB was roughed on the play.

What is your ruling?

Answer
Roughing te passer.
1/Goal on the B-8.
Rule 9-1-2-l

With the restructuring of the rulebook (2011), the rule reference should be 9-1-9. 

Question
Free kick form the A-30.

2 minutes remain in the fourth quarter and A is behind by 5 points.
The onside kick is on the A-41 yardline when A23 blocks B12 in the back on the A-41 yardline in an attempt to recover the kick.
B76 subsequently recovers the kick on the A-42. A22 touched the ball on the A-41.

What is your ruling?

Answer
Illegal block in the back.
B's ball, 1/10, on the A-32.
Rules 6-1-2 and 6-1-3.

This answer is incorrect.  The block is legal since A23 is eligible to recover the ball.
B's ball, 1/10 on the A-42.
The block in the back is legal in this case.
Rule 9-3-3-c-3.

Question
4/3 on the A-45.
The punt returner makes a fair catch signal on the B-15. The ball hits the ground on the B-18 and takes a bounce towards the B endzone. A89 is about to down the ball on the B-4 when the punt returner blocks him from the front and above the waist. The ball consequently rolls into the endzone.

What is your ruling?