Got a high school football rule question?

[The Drunken Sailor]

In the book there are forward passes and backward passes. Underhand or overhand doesn't matter.

 

Another term people use that is not a football term is lateral. There's no such thing, it's a backward pass per the book.

Correct, it doesn't matter how the ball is thrown, whether overhand, underhand or pushed out like a basketball pass, the only thing that matters is the direction it goes.  I was just referring to the fact that the kid in the video "pushes" the ball down instead of "throwing" it and how basically it is going forward so it is going to count as a forward pass.

[Blaze45]

So why is it illegal to hurdle the defense if you are running downfield unless they are down? What is the difference in that versus lunging over the d-line on the goal line in attempt to score?

[footballref]

 

So why is it illegal to hurdle the defense if you are running downfield unless they are down? What is the difference in that versus lunging over the d-line on the goal line in attempt to score?

 

Can't answer why...probably safety. There are probably several instance of rules not making sense of why they are like they are. Why is any kick that breaks the plane of the receiving team's goal line a touchback?

[TennesseeVol]

On a muffed punt, does the kicking team have to recover the ball beyond their first down marker for the ball to be awarded to them?

 

 

 

Example: Its 4th and 25, the kicking team only punts the ball 20 yards and it touches a member of the return team and the kicking team recovers it 5 yards short of the first down marker, would the ball be awarded to the kicking team or the receiving team?

Just saw this, but it's returns team ball. A muffed punt is not a possession.

[footballref]

Just saw this, but it's returns team ball. A muffed punt is not a possession.

If the return team is first to touch it beyond the neutral zone and the kicking team falls on the ball the then kicking team gets it 1st and 10.

[crazzyness]

If the return team is first to touch it beyond the neutral zone and the kicking team falls on the ball the then kicking team gets it 1st and 10.

 

Doesn't the muffed punt need to be recovered past the line to gain for K to retain the possession?

[TennesseeVol]

If the return team is first to touch it beyond the neutral zone and the kicking team falls on the ball the then kicking team gets it 1st and 10.

4th & 10 at the 50, punter is 15 yards back at the 35 yard line. Punt is high, goes no where, hits a return player at the offensive 47 yard line and recovered by the offense, it is still the returns team ball. 1st & 10 at the offense 47 yard line.

 

Same situation and the ball hits a defensive player at the defensive 45 yard line, it will be the offensive ball 1st & 10 at the defensive 45 yard line. Am I right?

[footballref]

Doesn't the muffed punt need to be recovered past the line to gain for K to retain the possession?

Not if it's touched beyond the neutral zone.

 

Let me see if I can find some scenarios in the case book. There are situations where the kicking team muffs the football down field, the ball rolls back behind the line of scrimmage, the kicking team picks the ball up and throws an incomplete pass, then the kicking team gets the ball 1st and 10.

[footballref]

4th & 10 at the 50, punter is 15 yards back at the 35 yard line. Punt is high, goes no where, hits a return player at the offensive 47 yard line and recovered by the offense, it is still the returns team ball. 1st & 10 at the offense 47 yard line.

 

Same situation and the ball hits a defensive player at the defensive 45 yard line, it will be the offensive ball 1st & 10 at the defensive 45 yard line. Am I right?

Yes, scenario 1 is the receiving team gets the ball. Scenario 2 the kicking team gets it.

 

It's all about where the touching occurs. The neutral zone is the magical place. The neutral zone is basically the line of scrimmage.

 

“ART. 1 . . . The neutral zone is the space between the two free-kick lines ­during a free-kick down and between the two scrimmage lines during a scrimmage down. For a free-kick down, the neutral zone is 10 yards wide and for a ­scrimmage down it is as wide as the length of the football. It is established when the ball is marked ready for play.

 

ART. 2 . . . The neutral zone may be expanded following the snap up to a ­maximum of 2 yards behind the defensive line of scrimmage, in the field of play, during any scrimmage down.â€

 

Excerpt From: NFHS & Bob Colgate. “2014 NFHS Football Rules Book.†NFHS. iBooks.

This material may be protected by copyright.

 

Check out this book on the iBooks Store: https://itun.es/us/mhUz0.l

[footballref]

Doesn't the muffed punt need to be recovered past the line to gain for K to retain the possession?

 

Here's some scenarios from the case book. This is from the 2013 case book, PDF copies are hard to get.

 

TOUCHING

AND

RECOVERING

SCRIMMAGE

KICKS

6.2.3 SITUATION A:

A scrimmage kick by K1 is partially blocked in the neutral zone by R1. The kick goes beyond the

neutral zone where R2 muffs it back behind the neutral zone. K2 recovers behind the neutral zone

and advances across R's goal line.

RULING: Touchdown for K.

COMMENT: The right of the kickers to advance their recovered scrimmage kick depends entirely

upon whether the kick is recovered in, behind or beyond the neutral zone. Whether the kick went

beyond the neutral zone and then rebounded behind it is of no consequence. The spot of recovery is

the only factor. If the recovery is in or behind the neutral zone, K may advance. If the recovery is

beyond the neutral zone, K may recover, but may not advance.

6.2.3 SITUATION B:

With third and 10 on K's 10-yard line, K1's punt is blocked and recovered on K's 4-yard line:

(a) simultaneously by K2 and R1, or

( by K2 who advances to K's 15.

RULING: In (a), the ball is dead immediately and is awarded to R because of the joint recovery. In

(, since K may recover in or behind the neutral zone and advance, it is fourth and 5 for K from its

own 15-yard line. The series for K did not end because the kick was blocked. (4-2-2e)

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6.2.4 SITUATION:

It is fourth and 10 and K11 punts the ball from K's 40-yard line. While R1 and K1 are engaged in

blocking downfield at R's 30-yard line, K2 legally bats the ball at R's 28-yard line and the batted ball

touches R1 on the leg. Then, K3 recovers the ball at the 30-yard line.

RULING: This touching by R is ignored and R will have the choice of taking the ball at the spot of

first touching or the dead-ball spot.

6.2.5 SITUATION A:

K1 attempts to down a punt beyond the neutral zone, but his touching only slows it down. The

bouncing ball is subsequently recovered by R1, who advances 25 yards but then fumbles and K2

recovers. K2 is immediately tackled.

RULING: R may either take the results of the play or retain possession by taking the ball at the spot

of K1's first touching. R can exercise this option, unless after R1 touches the ball, R commits a foul

or the penalty is accepted for any foul committed during the down.

*6.2.5 SITUATION C:

With fourth and 5 from K's 30-yard line, K9 punts the ball downfield where it is grounded and

touched by K88 (first touching) at R's 30. The ball continues rolling and is picked up by R35 at R's

25-yard line. R35 is subsequently hit and fumbles at R's 28. The loose ball is recovered by K88 on

the ground at R's 26. During the kick, R55 is flagged for holding.

RULING: If K accepts R's foul for holding, then it is enforced from the previous spot since postscrimmage

kick cannot apply as K is next to put the ball in play as a result of the play. If K accepts

the foul, the awarded spot for illegal touching is not applied. If K declines R's foul, R will take the

ball at the spot of first touching. (2-12-1; 2; 2-16-2h)

6.2.5 SITUATION B:

K2, running toward R's end zone, leaps in the air to catch K1's punt which is in flight. K2 has the ball

in his grasp over the 1-yard line, but first touches the ground in R's end zone. No player of R is in

position to catch the punt.

RULING: R can take the ball at the spot of first touching, his own 1-yard line, or take a touchback

since K2 has not possessed the ball until he came to the ground in the end zone. (6-3-1)

6.2.6 SITUATION:

What is the reason for having an expanded neutral zone during scrimmage kicks and how does it

affect the touching of a low kick in that area?

RULING: The purpose of expanding the neutral zone during a scrimmage kick is to permit normal

line play. The neutral zone is expanded up to a maximum of 2 yards behind the defensive line of

scrimmage (beyond the neutral zone) to allow offensive linemen to block and drive defensive

linemen off the line of scrimmage. Low scrimmage kicks may touch or be touched by players of K or

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R, and such touching is ignored if the kick has not been beyond the expanded neutral zone. The zone

disintegrates immediately when the kick has crossed the expanded zone or when the trajectory is such

that it cannot be touched until it comes down. Once the zone disintegrates, touching of the kick by K

in flight beyond the neutral zone is kick-catching interference if an R player is in position to catch the

ball. If touched by R beyond the neutral zone, it establishes a new series. (2-28-2; 5-1-3f; 6-5-6)

[tightend]

high school football when a ball is punted and the ball is rolling on ground and touches a receiving player and recovered by the punting team is it a recovered fumble Illinois high school game.

[Safesquezze]

Is a dead ball personal foul an automatic first down?