QUIZ ANSWERS: 2016 WEEK #6


1. RULING: 4th/8 B48. Incomplete pass. A loose ball is a live ball not in player possession during the interval after a legal forward pass is touched and before it becomes complete, incomplete or intercepted (2-2-3-a-3). The loose ball is dead whenever it touches a player who is out of bounds and, by definition, B44 is out of bounds. The loose ball continues until player possession is established which occurs when the pass is complete. It is also likely that the pass is incomplete if the touching by B44 occurs after A88 has landed and before he makes a football move. COMMENT: The requirements for a catch in the field of play are different than a catch in the opponent's end zone. (2016 Case Play 34)


2. RULING: Touchdown. A touchdown shall be scored when a fumble or backward pass is recovered, caught or awarded in the opponent's end zone (8-2-1-c). If the covering official would have signaled touchdown, replay could and would reverse the call to B 1/goal A1. Prior to this rule change, a player had to have player possession to score a touchdown. The reason for the change to an awarded touchdown without player possession is not known by the PPID.


3. RULING: Touchdown. A try B3. The fourth down fumble rule does not apply after a change of team possession during the down (7-2-2-a-Exception 2).


4. RULING: A 1/goal B8; Ready. A18 must leave the game for one down since his helmet did not come off as the result of a helmet foul. The game clock stopped for the helmet coming off in addition to completing the penalty so there is no option to start the clock on the snap.


5. RULING: B 1/10 B6, Postscrimmage kick enforcement applies since Team B would next snap the ball because the result of the play is a touchback (10-2-3-b-4). Team A is considered to be in legal possession when the ball becomes dead but that is not relevant in the postscrimmage kick enforcement rule.


6. RULING: Game ends. The final score is A27-B28. The clock is started on the ready because a Team B ball carrier, not a Team A ball carrier, ran out of bounds (AR 3-3-2-V). The period is not extended because the foul did not occur during a down in which time expires. The Umpire need not stay over the ball because Team B is not making substitutions.


7. RULING: Game ends. The final score is A27-B28. The result of the play is a safety. However, A82 committed an illegal touching violation on B's 9. Team B elects to take the ball at the spot of the violation. There is no reason to extend the period. If A82 did not touch the ball, Team A would be awarded one point and the game would go into an extra period.


Rom Gilbert / pigskin@romgilbert.us / October 5, 2016 / (q-1606a)