Football Official

Football Official

Zebra

Somewhere in, NJ

Male, 62

I've officiated football for over 30 years, now in my 26th on the college level. I've worked NCAA playoffs at the Division II and III level. In addition, I've coached at the scholastic level and have been an educator for over 35 years. I have no interest whatsoever in being an NFL official! Ever!

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Last Answer on January 23, 2021

Best Rated

Last play of game... QB runs around and clock expires. He throws the ball up in the air and the opposing team falls on the ball in the end zone. What is the call?

Asked by Jack over 8 years ago

Well, if they fall on the ball, the implication is that the ball is on the ground. That's an incomplete pass and the game is over. If they intercept it and fall on the grounds, the game is over.

I am the qb and I hand the ball off, and that person hands the ball off and then they toss it back to the qb, can you get a roughing the Passer penalty?????

Asked by Amy b almost 10 years ago

The foul is roughing the passer, not quarterback. NCAA rule defines the passer as: The passer is the player who throws a forward pass. He is a passer from the time he releases the ball until the pass is complete, incomplete or intercepted or until he moves to participate in the play.

A QB fumbles on a pitch to a rb on the 30yd line in an attempt to march down the field for a 70yd drive, the obvious chaos to recover the ball by D & O occurs; can a D player hit or kick the ball while trying to pick it up, causing the ball to roll towards the endzone, then recover it for a defensive touchdown??? Does this fall under the illegal batted ball rule?? (Ex: while he's trying to pick it up he kind of hits it forward, then hits it forward again, then picks it up in the endzone. Is this a legit td for the D or an illegally batted ball?) the ball started at the 30yd line, went back 5yds on the bad pitch, then was hit backwards nearly 25yds by the defense while attempting to pick up & advance the football.

Asked by Royal Chiou about 9 years ago

You cannot bat a ball forward. If the defense batted it towards the endzone they're facing, that's forward and illegal. There is a certain amount of reading intent. "he kind of hits it forward, then hits it forward again, then picks it up in the endzone." If a player tried and failed to pick it up twice and - golly gee - it happened to go towards the endzone, I think we have an issue. Ain't happening.

On a kickoff if the ball hits the upright and falls back into play is it a live ball

Asked by Mike17gibbs@gmail.com almost 10 years ago

No. Goalposts is out of bounds. Touching something out of bounds makes the ball dead.

So how does that rule change when a Quarterback falls backwards when stepped on by his own lineman? They mark where he falls not where he started to fall when stepped on. Technically no forward momentum.

Asked by Brian Jarrell123 almost 10 years ago

The rule doesn't change. Forward progress is....well, forward progress. If the QB pulls out from under center and gets stepped on and falls, the ball is marked where progress ended. Now, since he "retreated" from the center and went down, that's where he's down. It's like when a receiver catches a ball in advance of the line to gain but circles back hoping to get a lane to run in. If he is tackled behind where he caught the ball, that is where it's marked. He had progress but he gave it up of his own accord; he went back on his own.

Are players required to stop play when an official blows their whistle? Is there an exception in the rule book for when the ball is loose on the field and whistles are blowing? Why reward (on review) a fumble recovery after whistles are blowing?

Asked by bridgbum over 9 years ago

When the whistle blows, the play/action stops. If the ball is loose, as in your example, and an official blows the whistle - likely "inadvertently - then the play/action still stops. There are rules that cover those situations, including a loose ball.

In the Second Half kickoff of the Giant V Lion game. A Lion went out of bounds and then touched the kickoff in bounds at the 9. They placed the balk at the 40. How does that happen?

Asked by Jimmy C over 9 years ago

It's a great, smart play by the receiving team. If the player is out of bounds and he touches the kick, then the kick is out of bounds. That is a free kick out of bounds and a foul by the kickers. One option on enforcement is placing the ball 25 yards in advance of the kick. Lions, 1st and 10.