Zebra
Somewhere in, NJ
Male, 62
I've officiated football for over 30 years, now in my 26th on the college level. I've worked NCAA playoffs at the Division II and III level. In addition, I've coached at the scholastic level and have been an educator for over 35 years. I have no interest whatsoever in being an NFL official! Ever!
Yo? Really?
No. What you describe is a foul. Intentionally kicking a ball - not a scrimmage kick - is a foul.
While unusual, it's the right thing to do. It may be that the official, possibly getting to it late or the offense ran the play quickly, was in the process of counting when the play went off. Yes, the official should be counting "faster" but the idea is to get it right. He did. If the official thought he had 12, a less than perfect solution could be to stop play if he thinks he has 12, count, then flag it. If there are 11, play on.
We'll only talk highvschool or college here. Simultaneous catches or recoveries go to the offense. When you say "hit the ground" you need to clarify. Catching off the ground and then returning and touching the ground with their feet? Or bodies going to the ground where the players are grounded ending the play? If they come to the ground on their feet in "joint possession", it's still a live ball and they can fight it out. If they go to the ground in joint possession, it's the offense's ball.
Hey, coach! Tell your player to either catch it in the field of play or in the endzone. No indecision!!
Generally, officials will give the player the benefit of the doubt and say he's in the endzone. But if he is obviously straddling the line as you describe, he's caused all of us problems. It matters where the ball is, not the player. But if he throws it, he just screwed the pooch. If he throws it backwards, it's alive and the kicking team could recover it. If he throws it out of bounds backwards, it's a safety. If he throws it forward from the endzone, it's an illegal forward pass and the penalty is marked from the spot of the foul -- safety.
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I'm anot official, not a football historian.
I believe all levels of football rules are pretty much in agreement on this. The NCAA rule book states: "Forward progress is a term indicating the end of advancement by the ball carrier or airborne pass receiver of either team and applies to the position of the ball when it becomes dead by rule."
The ball was held out and then the whistle blew. The ball was at a certain position - where Elliott had held it out - and that was where it was determined to have been when the runner's progress ended. It isn't much different from a ball carrier extending the ball over the goal line and then being pushed back; touchdown. Position of the ball.
Can someone help me? I'm guessing you're a college coach since low blocks are prohibited in high school. The rules have changed a number of times over the last several years and each time they do, there's a new "wrinkle"....or crease.
Can't possibly do it justice or be complete here, but blocks need to be in the "10 to 2" (o'clock) range as viewed by the blocker. But this year it was interpreted that the initial contact has to be from that direction. In other words, even if the hit is in the 10-2 area, the "attack" by the blocker has to be within that arc when initiated. Clear? Yeah, me neither. With wide receivers, they must - since they are initially outside the tackle box - either block above the waist or attack the 10-2 zone and initiate the attack from that direction. It's challenging to explain without visuals. That may be as good as I can get it - sorry.
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