Got a high school football rule question?

[pigskinred]

I saw this in a game. The ball is snapped over the punter's head. He chases it 20 yards downfield  and is being chased. He runs about seven steps and right before he is hit, punts the ball. The defender was two steps away from making the tackle when the ball was kicked and hit the punter. Is this roughing the kicker since he picked it up and was running with it?

[footballref]

I saw this in a game. The ball is snapped over the punter's head. He chases it 20 yards downfield and is being chased. He runs about seven steps and right before he is hit, punts the ball. The defender was two steps away from making the tackle when the ball was kicked and hit the punter. Is this roughing the kicker since he picked it up and was running with it?

Probably not roughing here. The referee would have to make a decision. It is a tough one when the kicker is running like that.

[Eddie]

Hope this isn't a re-hash of an earlier topic. Team A punts the ball inside the one yard line of Team B. Team A's gunner dives and downs the the ball inside the one, but half of his body has broken the plane of the end zone. In fact, he's on his belly with his left hand on the ball and both his right arm and right leg on and across the goal line. Touchback or down inside at the one?

[DougS]

this is a Basketball question so maybe someone knows the rule.

 

Team A scores a layup in "wrong" basket (the one they are defending).  I know the 2 pts count for Team B, but which team gets the ball? 

 

Thanks

[footballref]

Hope this isn't a re-hash of an earlier topic. Team A punts the ball inside the one yard line of Team B. Team A's gunner dives and downs the the ball inside the one, but half of his body has broken the plane of the end zone. In fact, he's on his belly with his left hand on the ball and both his right arm and right leg on and across the goal line. Touchback or down inside at the one?

Where his body is at is irrelevant. The ball is what matters.

[Pudding]

Hey footballref.  How are playoff games assigned here in Tennessee?  I was told that if two teams meet in the first round, and both those teams are in an area that use the same refs for regular season games, that those same refs will always call those games. At the same time, lets say the home team is in Chattanooga and the visiting team is from Oak Ridge, a neutral group of refs from maybe Knoxville would travel and ref the game.  Is this how it works?  Just curious, when we go watch a game this Friday night, curious where dem zebras are from.

[footballref]

Hey footballref. How are playoff games assigned here in Tennessee? I was told that if two teams meet in the first round, and both those teams are in an area that use the same refs for regular season games, that those same refs will always call those games. At the same time, lets say the home team is in Chattanooga and the visiting team is from Oak Ridge, a neutral group of refs from maybe Knoxville would travel and ref the game. Is this how it works? Just curious, when we go watch a game this Friday night, curious where dem zebras are from.

We no longer call our own schools in the playoffs regardless of round. Anywhere you go this Friday the crew will be from elsewhere.

[Pudding]

ref:

 

Test time...

 

Why do refs award a touchdown to a player when he dives and hits the pylon at the goalline with the football?  The pylon is out of bounds.  I mean, if a fumble bounces into the pylon, it will either be a safety or touchback, depending on who lost the ball and who's endzone it is.  So why is diving into the pylon, striking it with the ball in hand, a touchdown?   

[The Drunken Sailor]

ref:

 

Test time...

 

Why do refs award a touchdown to a player when he dives and hits the pylon at the goalline with the football?  The pylon is out of bounds.  I mean, if a fumble bounces into the pylon, it will either be a safety or touchback, depending on who lost the ball and who's endzone it is.  So why is diving into the pylon, striking it with the ball in hand, a touchdown?   

Not FootballRef and not a rules expert of any kind but If the pylon is touched by an inbouds player it is a TD.  The reason being the pylon, if properly placed, is out of bounds BUT it is on the goalline (or goal line extended).  That means that if the ball from an in bounds player (with controll) hits the Pylon then the ball itself essentially breaks the plane. 

 

I probably didn't explain that too well so think of it like this, the pylon itself is considered to mark the goal line AND out of bounds.  Therefore if a loose ball - punt, fumble, kickoff, etc - hits the pylon it is considered to have broken the plane AND gone out of bounds. 

At least that is how I read it. 

[footballref]

ref:

 

Test time...

 

Why do refs award a touchdown to a player when he dives and hits the pylon at the goalline with the football?  The pylon is out of bounds.  I mean, if a fumble bounces into the pylon, it will either be a safety or touchback, depending on who lost the ball and who's endzone it is.  So why is diving into the pylon, striking it with the ball in hand, a touchdown?   

 

Case book play:

 

8.2.1 SITUATION: Runner A10 dives into the pylon at the intersection of the

goal line and sidelines and the ball breaks the plane of the goal line. RULING:

Touchdown. Assuming the pylon was placed properly, the ball broke the plane of

the goal line prior to the touching of the pylon.

 

Rule 4-3-2 says:

 

ART. 2 . . . When the out-of-bounds spot is between the goal lines, the ball

shall be put in play at the nearest hash mark to the inbounds spot unless a forward

pass is involved. If the out-of-bounds spot is behind a goal line, it is a safety,

field goal or touchback. If the ball touches a pylon, it is out of bounds behind

the goal line.

 

[BigOwl]

Is there someplace in the rule book about the distance a punter has to be at to be afforded the protection of not being hit? Seems Iike I remember it being 7 yds from the line but I can't find it anywhere.

[footballref]

Is there someplace in the rule book about the distance a punter has to be at to be afforded the protection of not being hit? Seems Iike I remember it being 7 yds from the line but I can't find it anywhere.

I believe you are thinking about protection for the snapper. It is 7 yards for the holder on a FG or PAT. It is 10 for a punter. Below is the definition of roughing the kicker.

 

Running into or roughing the kicker or holder. A defensive player

shall neither run into the kicker nor holder, which is contact that displaces the

kicker or holder without roughing; nor block, tackle or charge into the kicker of a

scrimmage kick, or the place-kick holder, other than when:

a. Contact is unavoidable because it is not reasonably certain that a kick will

be made.

b. The defense touches the kick near the kicker and contact is unavoidable.

c. Contact is slight and is partially caused by movement of the kicker.

d. Contact is caused by R being blocked into the kicker or holder by K.