1. Region One Football Officials Association
Rule Topics:
Illegal Batting (Rule 9.7)
(Compton, August 2014)
Rule book references: Rule 2 (force), Rule 8.5 (force, safety, touchback); Rule 10 (enforcement of penalties)
We Are All Here to Learn

2. Illegal Batting Overview
Batting is an intentional act that involves slapping or striking the ball with the arm or hand
Any forward pass in flight may be batted in any direction by an eligible receiver
Eligible offensive players may not bat a backward pass in flight forward
A ball in player possession shall not be batted forward by a teammate
All defensive players (always eligible) can bat any pass in flight in any direction
Illegal batting carries 15-yard penalty

3. Illegal Batting Overview
Batting does not add new force to a pass, kick or fumble in flight
Batting may add new force to a backward pass, fumble or kick after it has been grounded
No player shall bat a grounded loose ball (See scrimmage kick exception)
K may bat a grounded scrimmage kick, which is beyond the neutral zone, toward his own goal line
K may bat a scrimmage kick in flight beyond the neutral zone if no player of R is in position to catch the ball
Be extra aware for illegal batting during an on- sides kick situation

4. Illegal Batting Overview
Since batting is an intentional act, it should be considered when determining illegal touching or pass interference by ineligibles
For determining pass interference on eligible receivers, treat batting like you would an attempt to catch a pass

5. Illegal Batting - Rules Book
Rule 2-2: Batting is intentionally slapping or striking the ball with the arm or hand.
Rule : Force is the result of energy exerted by a player which provides movement of the ball. The term force is used only in connection with the goal line & in only one direction, i.e., from the field of play into the end zone. Initial force results from a carry, fumble, kick, pass or snap. After a backward pass, fumble or kick has been grounded, a new force may result from a bat, an illegal kick or a muff.
Rule : The muffing or batting of a pass, kick or fumble in flight is not considered a new force.

6. Illegal Batting - Rules Book
Rule 9-7-2: No player shall bat a loose ball other than a pass or a fumble in flight, or a low scrimmage kick in flight which he is attempting to block in or behind the ENZ.
Exception: K player may bat toward his own goal line a grounded scrimmage kick which is beyond the neutral zone & may also bat a scrimmage kick in flight beyond the neutral zone, if no R player is in position to catch the ball.
Rule 9-7-3: Any pass in flight may be batted in any direction, by an eligible receiver unless it is a backward pass batted forward by the passing team.
Rule 9-7-4: A ball in player possession shall not be batted forward by a player of the team in possession.
PENALTY: Illegal kicking or batting (Rule 9-7: Arts. 1, 2, 3, 4) – (S31) – 15 yards.

7. Illegal Batting - Rules Book
Rule 6-5-6: While any free kick is in flight in or beyond the neutral zone to the receiver's goal line or any scrimmage kick is in flight beyond the neutral zone to the receiver's goal line, K shall not touch the ball or R, unless blocked into the ball or R or to ward off a blocker, nor obstruct R's path to the ball. This prohibition applies even when no fair-catch signal is given, but it does not apply after a free kick has been touched by a receiver, or after a scrimmage kick has been touched by a receiver who was clearly beyond the neutral zone at the time of touching.
Exception: K may catch, touch, muff or bat a scrimmage kick in flight beyond the neutral zone if no player of R is in position to catch the ball.

8. Illegal Batting - Rules Book
Table 7-5 Foul 4: Illegal Touching By Ineligible: A forward pass caught, batted or muffed by an ineligible A player who is in or behind the neutral zone. Penalty: Loss of 5 yards & loss of down Enforcement Spot: SPOT OF TOUCHING.
Rule a: It is forward-pass interference if: Any player of A or B who is beyond the neutral zone interferes with an eligible opponent's opportunity to move toward, catch or bat the pass.
Rule a: It is not forward-pass interference if: Unavoidable contact occurs when two or more eligibles are making a simultaneous, bona fide attempt to move toward, catch or bat the pass.
Rule : An ineligible A player has illegally touched a forward pass if he bats, muffs or catches a forward pass while he is in or behind the neutral zone, unless the pass has been touched by B.

9. Illegal Batting - Rules Book
Rule 8-5-1: Responsibility for forcing the ball from the field of play across a goal line is attributed to the player who carries, snaps, passes, fumbles or kicks the ball, unless a new force is applied to a grounded backward pass, kick or fumble. The muffing or batting of a pass, kick or fumble in flight is not considered a new force.
Rule 8-5-2: It is a safety when: A player, who is either in the field of play or in his end zone, forces a loose ball from the field of play to or across his goal line by his kick, pass, fumble, snap or by a new force with his muff or bat or illegal kick, provided the ball becomes dead there in his team's possession (including when the ball is declared dead with no player in possession), or the ball is out of bounds when it becomes dead on or behind their goal line. This does not apply to a legal forward pass which becomes incomplete.

10. Illegal Batting - Rules Book
Rule 8-5-3b: It is a touchback when: Any scrimmage kick or free kick becomes dead on or behind K's goal line with the ball in possession of Team K (including when the ball is declared dead with no player in possession) and the new force is R's muff or bat of the kick after it has touched the ground.
Rule 8-5-3c: It is a touchback when: A fumble is the force, or a muff or bat of a backward pass or a fumble after either has touched the ground is the new force, which sends the ball to or across the opponent's goal line and provided such opponent is in team possession or the ball is out of bounds when it becomes dead on or behind its goal line.

11. Illegal Batting - Case Book
9.7.2A - Play: 4th & 4 from R's 40-yard line, K1 punts. The kick is bounding near R's goal line & K2, in an attempt to keep it from penetrating the plane of the goal line, bats the ball at the 2-yard line back toward his own goal line. In (a) it is recovered by R1 who advances to his 30; or (b) it is recovered by R2 who attempts to advance, but retreats and is downed in his own end zone.
Ruling a: The bat by K2 is legal because it occurred beyond the neutral zone. R would obviously take the results of the play & put the ball in play 1st & 10 from its 30.
Ruling b: Since the result of the play is a safety, R would take the ball at the 2, which is the spot of 1st touching where K2 legally batted the kick. (6-2-5; 8-5-2a; Exp.)

12. Illegal Batting - Case Book
9.7.2B - Play: K1's punt is coming down over R's 10-yard line and: (a) R3 is in position to catch the ball; or (b) no R player is in position to catch the ball, when K2 attempts to bat the ball toward his own goal line while it is in flight, but the batted ball goes into R's end zone.
Ruling a: It is a foul for kick-catching interference by K2 as well as first touching, and R may chose to take the result of the play, which is a touchback, or take an awarded fair catch or the ball at the spot of first touching at the 10-yard line, or penalize K 15 yards from the previous spot and replay the down.
Ruling b: There is no foul and the result of the play is a touchback. R will put the ball in play first and 10 from its own 20-yard line. (6-5-6 Exp.; 8-5-3; Exp.)

13. Illegal Batting - NFHS Case Book
Play: Team A is in punt formation and the ball is snapped to A1, who turns his back to the line of scrimmage and throws a backward pass into the air. A2 comes forward and bats the ball 20 yards downfield where: (a) A3 recovers it 5 yards beyond the line to gain; or (b) it is caught by A4 who advances for an additional 5 yards; or (c) it goes out of bounds in advance of the line to gain; or (d) B1 intercepts and returns it for an apparent touchdown.
Ruling a, b and c: The batting by A2 is illegal. It will be to B's advantage to accept the penalty of 15 yards which will be administered from the spot of the foul because the batting occurred during the loose-ball play and behind the basic spot. (10-6)
Ruling d: Modified due to 2001 rule change. The batting by A2 is illegal. In most cases, declining the penalty by B will be the obvious choice.

14. Illegal Batting - Case Book
Play: On 4th & 6 from B's 10-yard line, A1 is about to be hit short of the line to gain. While the ball is in A1's possession, either: (a) A1; or (b) A2; or (c) B1, bats the ball forward into B's end zone where A3 recovers.
Ruling a and b: It is an illegal bat in both. The enforcement spot is the end of A1's run, which is where the bat occurred.
Ruling c: The bat is legal and results in a touchdown for A. (8-2-2)

15. Illegal Batting - Case Book
Other scenarios that involve batting in a more indirect manner…
Force Definition
6.3.1 C - Blocking Kick from Crossbar
C - Pass Interference
8.3.2 A - Scoring Play - Try
9.6.1 D - Illegal Participation
D - Basic Enforcement Spots

16. Illegal Batting - Simplified & Illustrated
6-5-6 Exp.: This is a legal play. The kickers may touch, bat, muff or catch a scrimmage kick in flight beyond the neutral zone when no receiver is in position to make a catch. The receivers may take the results of the play or the ball at the spot of first touching by K.

17. Illegal Batting - Simplified & Illustrated
9-7-2 Exp.: K may bat a grounded scrimmage kick which is beyond the neutral zone toward his own goal line. This is legal action. If the bat occurred beyond the plane of the goal line, the ball was already dead causing it to be a touchback. K may also bat a scrimmage kick in flight beyond the neutral zone if no R player is in position to catch the ball.

18. Illegal Batting - Scenarios
Scenario 1: B1 intercepts a forward pass in his end zone and then passes backward to B2 who, scared to death, bats the ball over the end line.
Ruling 1: The force which put the ball into the end zone was the pass by A1. When B2 batted the backward pass in flight so that it went over the end line, the result is a touchback. It will be 1st & 10 for B from its 20-yard line. (8-5-3c; )

19. Illegal Batting - Scenarios
Scenario 2: On 3rd & 10 from B's 20-yard line, quarterback A1 receives snap & sweeps right. Setting up for a trick play he turns left & throws a lazy looping backward pass to his waiting receiver A2 who appears to be wide open at B's 30-yard line near the other sideline. Unfortunately, A2 realizes that two B players were not fooled & if he catches the pass, he is going to be tacked for a 10-yard loss. When the pass arrives, instead of catching the ball at B’s 30 he decides to bat the ball forward and out of bounds. The bat by A2 goes out of bounds at B’s 25 yard line.
Ruling 2: The bat by A2 is illegal since he batted a backward pass in flight, forward. If accepted, A will be penalized 15 yards from the spot of the foul (B’s 30) because the batting occurred during the loose-ball play and behind the basic spot. The result is 3rd & 35 from B’s 45. (9-7-3; 10-6)

20. Illegal Batting - Scenarios
Scenario 3: 1st & 10 from A's 7-yard line. The quarterback A1 receives the snap & throws a quick backward pass to wide receiver A2. The defensive end B1, in great anticipation, gets there first and bats the pass in flight toward A's end zone, which ultimately hits the base of the goal post.
Ruling 3: Safety for B. The bat by B1 is legal since all players of B may bat any pass in flight in any direction. Batting of a pass in flight is not considered a new force, therefore, A’s initial backward pass is the force that put the ball in the end zone. (9-7-3; )

21. Illegal Batting - Scenarios
Scenario 4: During a field-goal attempt, R1, who is in the end zone, leaps up & bats the ball away from the crossbar.
Ruling 4: Touchback. The touching by R1 in the end zone causes the ball to become dead, unless the ball caroms through the goal, thus scoring a field goal for K. This is not illegal batting. Touching by R1 in the field of play has no effect on the scoring of a field goal. (4-2-2d; ; 9-7-2)

22. Illegal Batting Test Questions
01. It is legal for R1 to bat a scrimmage kick which is beyond the neutral zone in an effort to keep it from going into R's end zone.
02. It is illegal for K1 to bat a grounded scrimmage kick toward K's goal line.
03. It is a foul if K1 at R's 1-yard line reaches through the plane of R's goal line & bats a grounded scrimmage kick towards K's goal Line.
04. Once a grounded scrimmage kick is beyond the neutral zone, K1 may not bat is back toward K's goal line.
05. A forward pass may be batted in either direction by eligible receivers of either team.
06. Any forward pass may be batted in any direction by either team.
07. It is legal for R1 to bat a low scrimmage kick in flight which he is attempting to block while he is in or behind the expanded neutral zone.

23. Illegal Batting Answers 1-7
False
True

24. Illegal Batting Test Questions
08. Any pass in flight may be batted in any direction by an ineligible receiver.
09. A ball in player possession may be batted forward by a player of the team in possession.
10. A backward pass in flight may be batted in any direction by either team.
11. Batting a fumble in flight is illegal.
12. It is not a foul if a player accidentally contacts a loose ball with his hand.
13. Batting a ball in flight may add a new force to the ball.
14. The penalty for illegal batting is 5 yards and loss of down.
15. Batting is any touching of the ball with the arm or hand.

25. Illegal Batting Answer 8-15
8.False
9. False
10. False
11. False
12. True
13. False
14. False
15. False

26. Illegal Batting Test Questions
16. K may bat a scrimmage kick in flight beyond the neutral zone if no player of R is in position to catch the ball.
17. Batting is an intentional act.
18. A backward pass, in flight, may be batted in any direction by the passing team.
19. Batting a scrimmage kick in or behind the neutral zone by R, in an effort to block the kick is legal.
20. Any pass in flight may be batted in any direction by an eligible receiver unless it is a backward pass batted forward by the passing team.
21. If K1 bats a grounded scrimmage kick, which is beyond the neutral zone, toward K's end zone in an effort to keep it from rolling into R's end zone, it is a foul for batting.

27. Illegal Batting Answers 16-21
16. True
17. True
18. False
19. True
20. True
21. False

28. The End