COLLEGE FOOTBALL OFFICIATING, LLC 2013 CFO BI-WEEKLY RULES QUIZ 1--SOLUTIONS For each of the following select the correct answer. There is only ONE correct choice for each question. For any fouls that are not offset, assume that the penalty is accepted unless it is declined by rule. ************************************************************************ 1. Team A s on-side kick from the A-35 is untouched at the A-43 when A55 blocks B44 above the waist in the front at the A-46. A28 muffs the ball at the A-44. After the ball rolls to the A-46, A88 blocks B22 above the waist in the front at the A-42. A20 recovers while grounded at the A-44. a. Illegal touching by A28. b. The block by A55 is a foul. c. The block by A88 is legal. d. Team A is in legal possession of the ball when it is declared dead. e. All of the above. REFERENCES: 6-1-3, 6-1-12 COMMENTS: A28 s touching is illegal because the ball has traveled only 9 yards. A55 s block is a foul because when the ball is at the A-43 he is not eligible to touch it. A88 s block is legal because it takes place after the ball has gone 10 yards and it is not low. Team A is in legal possession because they are eligible to touch (and hence recover) the ball after it goes 10 yards. 2. Ball carrier A44 gains a first down and is tackled in the field of play. When the game clock stops it reads 0:03 in the third quarter and Team A has no timeouts remaining. With a strong wind at its back Team A wants to spike the ball for one additional play before the quarter ends. When the referee signals to start the clock, the snapper is slow in snapping the ball. The quarterback takes the snap and spikes the ball directly to the ground. The game clock reads 0:00. a. The half is over. b. The minimum-time-to-spike rule does not apply in the first and third quarters.
c. Officials must restore three seconds to the game clock and allow Team A to replay the down. d. None of the above. REFERENCES: 3-2-5, AR 3-2-5-I COMMENTS: The three-second rule is to let Team A know that they have a reasonable opportunity to spike the ball and still run another play. But this is not guaranteed they still must execute the play in a timely manner. 3. The ball carrier is tackled in the field of play short of the line to gain. During the play A66 s helmet comes off (no foul) and A89 goes down with an injury. When the ball is dead the game clock shows 0:48 in the second quarter. a. A89 may remain in the game if Team A is granted a timeout. b. The play clock is set to 40 seconds because of the injury. c. A66 must come out of the game unless Team A is granted a timeout. d. The 10-second runoff does not apply because the game clock stops due to both the injury and the helmet coming off. e. None of the above. REFERENCES: 3-3-5-f COMMENTS: A89 must leave and his team may not buy him into the game by using a timeout. A66 could stay in the game if his team uses its timeout. The 10-second rule does apply because both reasons for stopping the clock are caused by the same team. 4. After the ball is dead, A55 is flagged for a dead-ball personal foul for his late block at the waist against B33. When B33 hits the ground his helmet comes off. Team B is out of timeouts. a. B33 must leave the game for the next down. b. B33 may remain in the game because of the foul. c. B33 may remain in the game because the ball was dead when his helmet came off. REFERENCES: 3-3-9-a COMMENTS: B33 s helmet comes off not as the direct result of the foul, but only as a secondary result. The fact that the ball was dead when the foul occurred is irrelevant because the helmet came off through play. 5. The ball carrier is tackled in the field of play short of the line to gain. During the play A66 s helmet comes off (no foul) and B66 goes down with an injury. When the ball is dead the game clock shows 0:48 in the second quarter. a. The 10-second runoff rule applies. b. The play clock is set at 40 seconds. c. The play clock is set at 25 seconds. 2
d. B66 leaves the game and may return before the next play if his team physician gives his approval. REFERENCES: 3-3-5, 3-3-9 COMMENTS: The 10-second runoff is not in effect because the reasons for stopping the clock are by opposing teams. B66 s injury causes the play clock to be set at 40 seconds. B66 must stay out for at least one play regardless of any decision by his team s medical personnel. 6. Third and five at the B-20. B44 intercepts a forward pass at the B-3 and his momentum carries him into his end zone. While still in the end zone B44 fumbles the ball which rolls forward into the field of play. In the scramble for the ball it goes back into Team B s end zone and over the end line. a. Touchback. Team B s ball, first and 10 at the B-20. b. Momentum rule applies. Team B s ball, first and 10 at the B-3. c. Safety. Two points for Team A. REFERENCES: 8-5-1-a, 8-7-2 COMMENTS: The momentum exception does not apply because the ball did not remain in the end zone. The impetus for the ball being in the end zone the second time is due to the fumble, and thus Team B is responsible. 7. After the ball carrier is tackled, A55 and B73 start scuffling so that the officials appropriately throw flags. Both A55 and B73 are charged with dead-ball personal fouls. a. The fouls offset. b. A55 and B73 are both charged with fouls for unsportsmanlike conduct. c. A55 later is charged with unsportsmanlike and must be disqualified from the game. d. All of the above. e. None of the above. REFERENCES: 9-2-1-a-1(j), 9-2-6 COMMENTS: This is an example of the new rule that treats these particular kinds of fouls as unsportsmanlike conduct. Note that even though the fouls offset resulting in no yardage penalty, they still count toward the two UNS foul that lead to automatic disqualification. 8. End A88 is aligned 10 yards from the snapper to the right side of the offensive formation. On a sweep play to his side he moves down field a short distance, comes back behind the neutral zone and blocks below the waist toward his goal line as the ball carrier turns up field at the sideline. An official throws his flag and reports to the referee that A88 has illegally blocked below the waist with a peel-back block. a. The call is correct only if the block takes place beyond the neutral zone. 3
b. The block would have been legal if A88 had been aligned at six yards from the snapper. c. The penalty is enforced from the spot of the foul. d. The penalty is enforced from the previous spot. REFERENCES: 9-1-6-a-3, 10-2-2-b COMMENTS: New in 2013, the peel-back block is a foul both behind and beyond the neutral zone. That A88 is unrestricted for blocking below the waist is irrelevant; all Team A players are prohibited from making this block once the ball has left the lowblocking zone. The enforcement is from the previous spot for personal fouls occurring behind the neutral zone. 9. End A88 is aligned inside the low-blocking zone six yards to the right of the ball. Immediately after the snap, he takes two steps to his right, thus leaving the low-blocking zone, and blocks below the waist against linebacker B55. The block is directly at B55 s front and is directed toward the line through the position of the ball at the snap. a. Legal play because A88 is not restricted with respect to blocking below the waist. b. Illegal crackback block because A88 left the low blocking zone before executing the block. c. Illegal block below the waist because A88 blocks away from his adjacent sideline. REFERENCES: 9-1-6-a-1,4 COMMENTS: A88 is unrestricted so this block is legal. The adjacent sideline no longer has any relevance. 10. Receiver A22 comes out of the backfield and runs a pass pattern across the middle. He leaps to make the catch, and while he is airborne he is hit by defender B33 just after A22 touches the ball. B33 executes this action by launching, hurling himself at A22, and driving his forearm and shoulder into A22 s chest, separating him from the ball, which falls to the ground for an incomplete pass. a. Targeting foul by B33, who is disqualified from the game. b. Legal play because the initial contact is not to the head or neck area of A22. c. A22 is not a defenseless player. REFERENCES: 9-1-4 COMMENTS: It is important to remember that 9-1-3 and 9-1-4 each have two components: targeting and contact with the crown of the helmet (9-1-3) or targeting and contact to the head/neck area of a defenseless player (9-1-4). This action by B33 has the elements of targeting (launch, etc.) but does not have the contact to the head/neck area of this defenseless player, so it is not a foul. Both components must be present in order for the action to be illegal. 4
Rogers Redding Secretary-Rules Editor NCAA Football Rules Committee September 4, 2013 5