1. Mike Pasenelli CACPFO Rules Interpreter Revised 22 February 2011

2.  Go over key parts of rule 2 2

3.  7-5-13, on page 62  An ineligible A player has illegally touched a forward pass if he bats, muffs or catches a legal forward pass, unless the pass has first been touched by B.  Assumes: you know the definition of each of the underlined words. 3

4.  These are highlights only, and are designed to get you into a habit of using the books  I picked out things that are vital to understanding some basic concepts, and things that are not usually discussed by announcers, players or coaches  You have to study rule 2 over and over 4

5.  At all times during the game, the ball is either live or dead  A dead ball is a ball not in play  To have a live ball, you must have the ball declared ready for play (2-35), then you must have a legal snap or a legal free kick  Prior to a legal snap or legal free kick, if any of 7 fouls occur, they cause the ball to remain dead You must learn what these They all have signal 7 in the penalty  No live-ball foul causes the ball to become dead (Fundamental III.2, page 80) 5

6. 6 6 DEAD BALL READY FOR PLAY SNAP OR FREE KICK LIVE BALL END OF DOWN DEAD BALL

7.  #1: Delay of game 3-6-2  #2: Illegal substitution 3-7 (careful)  #3: Free kick infraction 6-1-2  #4: Encroachment 6-1-3, 7-1-1, 7-1-5, 7-1-6  #5: Snap infraction 7-2-2, 7-2-3  #6: False start 7-2-7  #7: Illegal snap 7-2-4  If one of these fouls occur, no matter who it is against, the ball remains dead Example, K try@R-3, R1 encroaches, snap is made, K1 kicks the ball and it goes between the uprights 7

8.  2 kinds of neutral zones: Free kick neutral zones Scrimmage down neutral zones  Free kick: The space between the 2 free kick lines, which are normally the 40 and the 50 on kickoffs Can be moved by penalty 8

9.  Neutral Zone during a Scrimmage down: The space between the lines of scrimmage Line of scrimmage: 2-25-1, the vertical plane through the point of the ball nearest each team’s goal line It is exactly one ball length wide  The neutral zone is established when the ball is declared ready for play (2-35)  It may be expanded following the snap up to 2 yards behind the defensive line of scrimmage, in the field of play 9

10. 10 Neutral Zone Line of Scrimmage

11. 11 Kickers’ free kick line Receivers’ free kick line Neutral Zone

12.  2-32-14: The player who snaps the ball is the snapper, not the center  Not defined, but alluded to: an end A player on the line of scrimmage who has no other player on the line of scrimmage outside of him  2-32-3: Back: An A player who has no part of his body breaks the plane of an imaginary line drawn through the waist of the nearest teammate who is legally on the line. For our purposes, B players are either on the line of scrimmage or they’re not. 12

13.  2-32-3: Note that the player who is going to receive a direct hand to hand snap is, by definition, a back: commonly referred to as the QB  2-32-9: Lineman: An A player who: Is facing his opponent’s goal line with his shoulders approximately parallel to it, and His head or foot breaking an imaginary line drawn parallel to the line of scrimmage through the waist of the snapper. 13

14. 14

15. Free-blocking Zone 2-17

16.  Initial contact made below the waist, not against a runner  If the initial contact is with the hands, you do not have BBW 16

18.  A delayed block, and  At the knees or below, and  Against an opponent who is in contact with a teammate of the blocker, and  In the free blocking zone  Note: illustration has the wrong rule reference, should be 2-3-8 18

20.  Clipping is a block against an opponent when The initial contact is from behind At or below the waist Not against an opponent who is a runner or pretending to be a runner  2-32-13: Runner is a player in possession of a live ball or is simulating possession of a live ball 20

26.  By definition, it is not possible to trip the runner 26

27.  Batting is an intentional act  It consists of intentionally slapping or striking the ball with the arm or hand  For a player to bat the ball, he must make an intentional act  An ineligible A player has illegally touched a forward pass if he bats, muffs or catches a legal forward pass, unless the pass has first been touched by B. 27

28.  Means more than simply gaining possession Possession of the ball in flight  2-34-1: Possession implies being held or controlled And first coming to the ground inbounds  If an airborne player receives the ball and lands so his first contact is inbounds, then he has caught the ball.  If the first contact is out of bounds, then there is no catch and the pass is incomplete 28

29.  A catch of a pass thrown by an opponent 29

30.  Catching the ball is always preceded by touching  If touching the ball causes it to become dead, securing possession of it is meaningless  An ineligible A player has illegally touched a forward pass if he bats, muffs or catches a legal forward pass, unless the pass has first been touched by B. 30

31.  A catch means the ball has not hit the ground  Gaining possession of a live ball after it strikes the ground is a recovery  Catch, interception or recovery only tells you about the status of the ball, not the player A player can recover a kick or fumble while on his feet A player can catch or intercept a pass or fumble while he is down on the ground 31

32.  A catch or recovery in which there is Joint possession of a live ball By opposing players Who are inbounds  A simultaneous catch or recovery causes the ball to become dead and it belongs to the offense 32

33.  A muff is the touching of a loose ball in an unsuccessful attempt to secure possession  A fumble is any loss of player possession other than by handing, passing or a legal kick  Key difference: a fumble means a player had possession and then lost it Forward pass caught and fumbled equals live ball Forward pass muffed and hits the ground is incomplete 33

34.  Catching the ball is always preceded by touching  If touching the ball causes it to become dead, securing possession of it is meaningless  An ineligible A player has illegally touched a forward pass if he bats, muffs or catches a legal forward pass, unless the pass has first been touched by B. 34

35.  Of a free kick A catch by a receiver In or beyond the neutral zone to the receiver’s goal line After a valid signal  Of a scrimmage kick A catch by a receiver Beyond the neutral zone to the receiver’s goal line After a valid signal 35

36.  In return for protection from being blocked or tackled, the receiver gives up the right to advance the ball  Awarded fair catch-a choice an offended team has for kick-catching interference  Valid fair catch signal: Extending and lateral waving of one arm, at full arms length above the head, by a receiver 36

37. 37

38. 38  Invalid-any signal by a receiver before the kick is caught or recovered That does not meet the requirements of a valid signal After the kick has touched a receiver After the kick has touched the ground  Illegal-any signal by a runner ◦ After the kick has been caught ◦ After the kick has been recovered

39.  Where? In the field of play  Who? By any K player  When? Before it crosses R’s free kick line and before it is touched there by any R player 39

40.  Where? In the field of play  Who? By any K player  When? Beyond the neutral zone expanded and before it is touched there by R and before it has come to rest 40

42.  2 kinds of downs: Scrimmage downs Free kick downs  Scrimmage downs begin with a legal snap  Free kick downs start with a legal kick  All downs end when the ball next becomes dead 42

43.  The loss of the right to replay the down  Does not automatically mean that the next down will be a higher number  There are 5 fouls that carry a loss of down penalty: Opie’s hand pass touches the ground OPI Illegal handing Illegal forward pass Illegal touching Intentional grounding 43

44.  A player is illegally in the neutral zone During the time when the ball is marked ready for play until the ball is snapped or free kicked  An entering substitute is not considered a player for encroachment purposes until he is on his side of the neutral zone  We don’t have “offsides” in our code 44

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46.  The field is 160’ wide  It is divided into thirds in the field of play (2-10- 2), which is the area bounded by the boundary lines and the goal lines  The things that divide the field into thirds are hash marks  The lines in the back of the end zones are the end lines 46

47.  Any attempt by a player or non-player To strike or engage a player or non- player in a combative manner unrelated to football 47

48.  Short version—what and who put the ball in the end zone? When the ball goes from the field of play into the end zone, we have to know what and who put it there  Can be from a carry, snap, pass, fumble or kick  Can’t be from muffing or batting a pass, kick or fumble in flight 48

49.  Kicks going into R’s end zone-force is not a factor 49

52.  2-16-1: A foul is a rule infraction for which a penalty is prescribed  Committing illegal touching is a foul  2-16-5: A penalty is a result imposed by rule against a team or team member that has committed a foul Most often a yardage penalty Can be an automatic first down or loss of down or something else 52

53.  2-16-2a: Dead ball foul, as opposed to a live ball foul  2-16-2b: Double is one or more live ball fouls (not non-player or USC) committed by each team  2-16-2e: Multiple means 2 or more against the same team  2-16-2c: Flagrant-a very severe foul 53

55.  Transferring player possession from one player to a teammate in such a way that the ball is still in contact with the 1 st player when it is touched by the teammate-handing is not a pass  Forward handing occurs when the runner releases the ball when the entire ball is beyond the yard line where the runner is positioned 55

56.  2-24-1: Kicking is an intentional act If a player is attempting to recover a loose ball and he hits it with his foot, that is not a kick  We have 2 types of kicks: Free kicks Scrimmage kicks 56

57.  Any legal kick from in or behind the neutral zone  Place kick (attempting a field goal or try) Ball is in a fixed position on the ground or on a tee Can have a teammate be the holder  Drop kick (attempting a field goal or try) Player drops the ball and kicks it when it touces the ground or as it is rising from the ground  Punt-player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground 57

58.  Free kicks Kickoff  Beginning of each half  After a successful field goal  After any try  Place kick/drop kick Free kick following a safety (place kick/drop kick/punt) Fair catch/awarded fair catch (place kick/drop kick) 58

59.  You must memorize the following:  “A kick is a kick until it’s possessed or is dead by rule.”  It is one of the simplest statements to make, but easiest to forget  It has major implications during kicking downs 59

60.  Any intentional striking of the ball that does not comply with articles 3 and 4: Kicking a ball that is loose on the ground Kicking a ball beyond the line of scrimmage Kicking a ball beyond the free-kick line Kicking a ball after a change of possession  After an illegal kick, the ball is treated as a fumble 60

61.  There are only 2 kinds of passes: Forward passes Backward passes  What’s not on the list: “lateral”  How the passer throws the pass does not matter, and, for purposes of forward or backward, where he throws it from does not matter  What matters is whether the pass was forward or backward 61

62.  The determination as to whether a pass is forward of backward is determined by the initial direction of the pass 62

63.  A spot is a place on the field  2-41-4: Inbounds spot We only snap or free kick the ball between the inbounds lines (hashmarks), so when the ball is dead in a side zone or out of bounds we next snap it from the inbounds spot  2-41-10: Succeeding spot Where the ball would next be snapped or free kicked if a foul had not occurred. 63

64.  2-41-6: PSK spot The spot where the kick ends  2-41-9: Spot where the run ends Where the ball becomes dead in the runner’s possession Where the runner loses player possession if the run is followed by a loose ball 64

65.  Go over key parts of rule 2 65