RULE 4 - Ball in Play, Dead Ball, Out of Bounds

Section 1. Ball in Play—Dead Ball

Live Ball Becomes Dead—ARTICLE 2

Approved Ruling 4-1-2

I. Fourth and 16 at the 50-yard line, Team A kicks. B1 clips on Team B’s 40-yard line, and B2 muffs the kick on the 25-yard line. While the ball is loose, an inadvertent whistle is sounded. RULING: If Team A accepts the penalty, penalize Team B from the 50-yard line. Team A’s ball, first and 10 on the 35-yard line. If Team A declines the penalty, repeat the down. II. Fourth and 16 at the 50-yard line. At the snap, B1 is offside. Team A advances the ball to the 30-yard line and fumbles. During the loose ball, an inadvertent whistle is sounded. RULING: Team A may refuse the penalty and put the ball in play on the 30-yard line, first and 10. III. Fourth and five at the A-30. During the kick an official inadvertently sounds his whistle. RULING: Repeat the down. The game clock starts on the snap. (Rule 3-3-2-f)

Ball Declared Dead—ARTICLE 3

Approved Ruling 4-1-3

I. While A1 is holding the ball for a place kick, Team B plays the ball by (a) recovering a loose ball, (b) snatching it from A1 or © batting it from his hands. RULING: (a) The ball remains alive. (b) The ball remains alive. © Fumble, the batting by Team B is legal. II. Team A is in formation to attempt a field goal. At the snap A22 is in position to execute a right-footed place kick and A33 is in position as the holder. The snap goes to A33 who has a knee on the ground. Just after the snap A22 breaks to his left and toward the neutral zone, and A33, while still on his knee, flips a forward pass to A22 who carries the ball beyond the line to gain before he is tackled. RULING: Legal play, because at the snap A22 was in position to attempt a place kick. First and 10 for Team A.

Ball Ready for Play—ARTICLE 4

Approved Ruling 4-1-4

I. Snapper A1 snaps the ball before the ball is made ready for play. A2 muffs the snap and B1 recovers the ball. RULING: Dead-ball foul, Team A delay of game. Penalty—Five yards from the succeeding spot, Team A’s ball. The ball does not become alive, and all action should be stopped immediately by the game officials. II. Kicker A1 kicks off before the referee has declared the ball ready for play. RULING: Dead-ball foul. Penalty—Five yards from the succeeding spot. The ball does not become alive, and all action should be stopped immediately by the game officials.

Section 2. Out of Bounds

Player Out of Bounds—ARTICLE 1

Approved Ruling 4-2-1

I. An inbounds ball carrier bumps into or is touched by a player or game official on the sideline. RULING: The ball carrier is not out of bounds. II. Ball carrier A1 is running inbounds near the sideline when he is contacted by a squad member of Team B, who is on the sideline. RULING: Rule 4-2-1 states a player is out of bounds when any part of his person touches anything other than a player or an official. Penalty—15 yards or other unfair-action game administration-interference penalties (Rules 9-2-3 and 9-2-5). III. Team A executes an on-side kick at the A-35. A33 is running near the sideline and steps out of bounds at the A-45. At the A-47 he leaps and bats the ball forward, and it rolls out of bounds at the A-49. RULING: Foul against Team A for free kick out of bounds at the A-47. Airborne A33 is out of bounds when he touches the ball because he has not established himself in bounds after going out of bounds. Not a foul for batting the ball forward because the ball is dead as soon as A33 touches it (Rule 4-2-3-a).

Out of Bounds at Forward Point—ARTICLE 4

Approved Ruling 4-2-4

I. A player with one foot out of bounds behind a goal line touches a loose ball in the field of play. RULING: Ball is out of bounds and dead at its most forward point in the field of play. If this loose ball was an untouched free kick, it is a free kick out of bounds and a foul. Penalty—Five yards from the previous spot or Team B’s ball 30 yards beyond Team A’s free-kick line.

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