I. Airborne A1 receives a legal forward pass one yard within the opponent’s end zone. As A1 receives the ball, he is contacted by B1 and first comes to the ground with the catch at the one-yard line, where the ball is declared dead. RULING: Touchdown (Rule 8-2-1- b). II. Airborne A1 receives a legal forward pass one yard within Team B’s end zone. As A1 receives the ball, he is contacted by B1 and first comes to the ground, on his feet, with the catch at the one-yard line. After he regains his balance, he runs and is downed at Team B’s five-yard line. RULING: Not a touchdown. Team A’s ball at the spot where the ball is declared dead. III. Airborne A2 receives a legal forward pass at Team A’s 35-yard line. As A2 receives the ball, he is contacted by B1 and first comes to the ground with the ball at Team A’s 33-yard line, where the ball is declared dead. RULING: Team A’s ball at the 35-yard line. This is the point of forward progress. IV. A4, with the ball breaking the plane of the 50-yard line while in his possession, dives over the 50-yard line, which is the line to gain for a first down. He is knocked back to Team A’s 49-yard line, where any part of his body except his hand or foot touches the ground. RULING: First down at forward progress spot (Rule 4-1-3-b). V. A6 has the ball in his possession and is not controlled by an opponent, as he dives over the 50-yard line, which is the line to gain for a first down, and is forced back across the 50-yard line. A6 continues to run and is tackled at Team A’s 49-yard line, where any part of his body except his hand or foot strikes the ground. RULING: No first down. The point of forward progress is Team A’s 49-yard line. VI. A5, with the ball breaking the plane of the goal line while in his possession, dives over the goal line and is knocked back to the one-yard line, where any part of A5’s body except his hand or foot touches the ground. RULING: Touchdown. The ball is dead when it breaks the plane of the goal line in A5’s possession.
I. Team A’s fourth-down legal forward pass strikes the ground after it touches an originally ineligible receiver who is illegally more than three yards beyond the neutral zone. RULING: Foul, ineligible receiver downfield. Penalty—Five yards from the previous spot. Team B’s ball, first and 10, if the penalty is declined (Rule 7-3-10).
I. Fourth and two on Team A’s 35-yard line. A1 takes the snap and fumbles the ball on Team A’s 38-yard line, with the ball going out of bounds on (a) Team A’s 40-yard line or (b) Team A’s 30-yard line. Immediately after the ball goes out of bounds, Team A commits a personal foul. RULING: (a) Team A’s ball, first and 10 on Team A’s 23-yard line. Start the clock on the ready-for-play signal. (b) Team B’s ball, first and 10 on Team A’s 15-yard line. Start the clock on the snap.
I. Third and four on Team B’s 30-yard line. Ball carrier A22 goes out of bounds on the 18-yard line. B88 commits a foul immediately after the ball is out of bounds. RULING: First and goal for Team A at the nine-yard line. Clock starts on the ready-for-play signal except in the last two minutes of a half. II. Fourth and four at the A-16. Ball carrier A22 goes out of bounds at the A-18. A77 commits a foul immediately after the ball is out of bounds. RULING: Team B’s ball on the nine-yard line. First and goal. Start the clock on the snap. III. On fourth and five, Team A gains six yards and is awarded a new series. After the ball is made ready for play and before the snap, A55 commits (a) a personal foul or (b) a false start. RULING: (a) First and 25. (b) First and 15. IV. Team A’s ball, third and four from the 50-yard line. After the ball is made ready for play and before the snap, B60 charges across the neutral zone and contacts snapper A50. A61 then fouls B60. A61’s foul is a personal foul. RULING: Penalize Team B five yards for B60’s offside, then penalize Team A 15 yards and reset the line-to-gain indicator to indicate first and 10 from Team A’s 40-yard line. V. After Team A has made a first down, the umpire has placed the ball on the ground at the B-30. The referee waves the umpire away from the ball but before he signals the ball ready for play, snapper A55 snaps the ball. RULING: Team A dead-ball foul for delay of game. Five-yard penalty, first and 10 at the B-35. NOTE: This is a foul between series in that it takes place before the ball is declared ready for the next series. Hence it is first and 10, not first and 15. (Rules 4-1-1, 4-1-4)