Down
ARTICLE 1.
A down is a unit of the game that starts after the ball is ready for play with a legal snap (scrimmage down) or legal free kick (free kick down) and ends when the ball becomes dead [Exception: The try is a scrimmage down that begins when the referee declares the ball ready for play (Rule 8-3-2-b)].
Between Downs
ARTICLE 2.
Between downs is the interval during which the ball is dead.
Loss of Down
ARTICLE 3.
“Loss of down” is an abbreviation meaning “loss of the right to repeat a down.”