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514 Questions

Last Answer on January 23, 2021

On a kickoff, say the receiver catches the ball straddling the endzone, he hesitates, and here's the other team. He can't go fwd., he may get a safety, so he decides to throw the ball out of bounds. An illegal forward pass but they keep the ball?

Asked by Scott over 7 years ago

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.

531 Votes

Yo, if the quarterback fumbles the ball behind the line of scrimmage, then for some reason, instead of recovering it or picking it up, he kicks it off the ground through the uprights, is that a field goal?

Asked by Zach over 7 years ago

Yo? Really?

No. What you describe is a foul. Intentionally kicking a ball - not a scrimmage kick - is a foul.

531 Votes

Why can't the ball be snapped to the center of the hash marks for a field goal? Must the ball be snapped directly backwards in these situations? (To move a field goal attempt to the middle versus kicking from the hash marks)

Asked by Football noob over 7 years ago

The ball is snapped based on where it ends up after the previous play. If the play ends outside the hash (between hash and sideline) it is brought back to the hash for the next snap. If it is incomplete, it is returned to where it was last snapped. If it ends between the hashes, it is snapped at the spit where the play ended. You don't table a choice of where to place the ball.

530 Votes

Would you or could you call a delay of game penalty. The Falcons intercept Brady deep in Falcon territory. During thr runback all Patriots players give up about the 50 yard line. Alford stops before crossing the goal line to run off time off clock.

Asked by Dick E over 8 years ago

No. It's an accepted part of the game.

529 Votes

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The tackle box is the area that's from the left side offensive tackles to the right side OT and is 5 yards deep on the defense. My question is, if there's a defensive end aligned with an outside shade on the OT, would that still be considered the box

Asked by Bret over 8 years ago

It's based on the offensive formation, not where the defense is. The DE's position is irrelevant.

528 Votes

Its 3rd and 3 on the offensive 4 yard line. The defence commits a 5 yard penalty is it a first down even tho its only half the distance to the goal?

Asked by Jason over 7 years ago

Let's change some terminology. Offense is A and defense is B. A has 3rd and 3 on the B4, so the line to brain is the B1. B commits a foul with a 5 yard penalty. But you're in an area where you can only go half the distance. Half the distance from the B4 is the B2. It's now 3rd and 1.

528 Votes

What happens in college football when the runners own player knocks him backwards and down to the ground. How is forward progress determined? Since the defense did not stop him – should he be down where he lands and not where the forward most spot of the ball?

Asked by Brian Jarrell over 8 years ago

I wish I had seen this - it's the second question about it. Here's the answer - repeated: A player is moving forward until he isn't. If a runner collides with a teammate and falls down, he's down. Once the runner's own action stops propelling him forward - unless he runs backwards of his accord - he has ended his "forward progress". And to add/clarify: It is where the ball is when his forward movement ends, whether tackled or he falls on his own or after contact with his teammate.

528 Votes

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Football Official

Ask me anything!

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On a kickoff, say the receiver catches the ball straddling the endzone, he hesitates, and here's the other team. He can't go fwd., he may get a safety, so he decides to throw the ball out of bounds. An illegal forward pass but they keep the ball?

Yo, if the quarterback fumbles the ball behind the line of scrimmage, then for some reason, instead of recovering it or picking it up, he kicks it off the ground through the uprights, is that a field goal?

Why can't the ball be snapped to the center of the hash marks for a field goal? Must the ball be snapped directly backwards in these situations? (To move a field goal attempt to the middle versus kicking from the hash marks)

Would you or could you call a delay of game penalty. The Falcons intercept Brady deep in Falcon territory. During thr runback all Patriots players give up about the 50 yard line. Alford stops before crossing the goal line to run off time off clock.

Also on Jobstr...

The tackle box is the area that's from the left side offensive tackles to the right side OT and is 5 yards deep on the defense. My question is, if there's a defensive end aligned with an outside shade on the OT, would that still be considered the box

Its 3rd and 3 on the offensive 4 yard line. The defence commits a 5 yard penalty is it a first down even tho its only half the distance to the goal?

What happens in college football when the runners own player knocks him backwards and down to the ground. How is forward progress determined? Since the defense did not stop him – should he be down where he lands and not where the forward most spot of the ball?

Football Official

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

On a kickoff, say the receiver catches the ball straddling the endzone, he hesitates, and here's the other team. He can't go fwd., he may get a safety, so he decides to throw the ball out of bounds. An illegal forward pass but they keep the ball?

Yo, if the quarterback fumbles the ball behind the line of scrimmage, then for some reason, instead of recovering it or picking it up, he kicks it off the ground through the uprights, is that a field goal?

Why can't the ball be snapped to the center of the hash marks for a field goal? Must the ball be snapped directly backwards in these situations? (To move a field goal attempt to the middle versus kicking from the hash marks)

Would you or could you call a delay of game penalty. The Falcons intercept Brady deep in Falcon territory. During thr runback all Patriots players give up about the 50 yard line. Alford stops before crossing the goal line to run off time off clock.

Also on Jobstr...

The tackle box is the area that's from the left side offensive tackles to the right side OT and is 5 yards deep on the defense. My question is, if there's a defensive end aligned with an outside shade on the OT, would that still be considered the box

Its 3rd and 3 on the offensive 4 yard line. The defence commits a 5 yard penalty is it a first down even tho its only half the distance to the goal?

What happens in college football when the runners own player knocks him backwards and down to the ground. How is forward progress determined? Since the defense did not stop him – should he be down where he lands and not where the forward most spot of the ball?

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