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514 Questions

Last Answer on January 23, 2021

Case Keenum against the bears,When he leaped and extended the ball for the first down and then fumbled, if Peterson recovered the ball behind the first down line would it have been a first down due to change of possession? because 1st down was made

Asked by Leo over 5 years ago

I didn't see this play so I'm not sure what to rule. If a ball carrier (QB or other) extends the ball and he isn't yet down (or forward progress ruled), then the ball is still alive. If Peterson is also on the Bears (sorry, don't know) and he recovers behind the line, then that is where the succeeding spot (next snap) takes place. If Peterson is on the other team, it's their ball if the loose ball (Keenum's fumble) is still alive. As I said, simply because the ball crossed the line to gain, if the play is still alive, then we don't have a first down.

331 Votes

A few weeks ago we saw onside kick in which kicker tossed ball 10 feet into air, hit ground, bounced 5-6 feet, and was easily kicked high. NFL later said that was illegal. Was that just the NFL, or was there something in rule book making illegal?

Asked by Jay over 5 years ago

No, it's illegal. An onside kick is a free kick which must be from a tee or by dropkick. A dropkick, by definition, is a ball kicked immediately after hitting the ground, not 3, 4, or 5 feet in the air. A similar mistake was made in a college game a few weeks ago.

329 Votes

On a safety, QB flagged for illegal touch (bad snap & kick ball out instead of trying to recover). Smart play, but ref made the other coach choose to decline the penalty to get safety, No option for safety & apply penalty on freekick, Correct call?

Asked by Paul E Miller over 5 years ago

There was no "illegal touch"; the foul was for illegally kicking the ball. The result of the play - the ball going over the endline because of the kicking - was a safety. You can't have the result of the play and the penalty.

328 Votes

In Overtime, team A is leading. Team B has possession and fumbles; team A recovers and returns the fumble, and also fumbles, recovered back by team B. Is the game over, won by team A, or does team B still have a another possession?

Asked by Jim over 5 years ago

First, the series by the team on offense (your team B) is over. Since the defense (your team A) is winning, that indicates that they were already on offense in this period of OT. So, yes, game over and Team A wins.

328 Votes

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If a team did an on sides kick to begin overtime and recovered the ball could they win with a field goal

Asked by Justin about 5 years ago

I was speaking with an NFL team official a few weeks ago (yeah, that sounds pretty cool) and he brought that up. If I recall correctly, the answer is yes. The receiving team has an opportunity to possess the ball...and they failed by not recovering. So both teams, in fact, would have had an opportunity to possess. A FG wins it.

324 Votes

A youth (8B) football game last night in Wilmette Il. Offsve player ran with ball, contact made and fumbled at 3 yd line, ball went fwd to end zne, another offsve player recovered. Refs ruled a TD. Correct? Or if recoved by O, back to spt of Fmb

Asked by Jonathan Frawley over 5 years ago

They're correct. Ball is inbounds and is still a live ball.

324 Votes

Concerning dead ball fouls, why are they only enforced if it happens after the play, why not if they happen during the play? By definition, fouls should not happen, period. Why offset during the play but not after? Makes no sense to me.

Asked by dmuellenberg over 5 years ago

Yes, fouls happen...after the play they "shouldn't" happen because the play is over. The player screwed up by going after an opponent after the play.

322 Votes

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Football Official

Ask me anything!

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Case Keenum against the bears,When he leaped and extended the ball for the first down and then fumbled, if Peterson recovered the ball behind the first down line would it have been a first down due to change of possession? because 1st down was made

A few weeks ago we saw onside kick in which kicker tossed ball 10 feet into air, hit ground, bounced 5-6 feet, and was easily kicked high. NFL later said that was illegal. Was that just the NFL, or was there something in rule book making illegal?

On a safety, QB flagged for illegal touch (bad snap & kick ball out instead of trying to recover). Smart play, but ref made the other coach choose to decline the penalty to get safety, No option for safety & apply penalty on freekick, Correct call?

In Overtime, team A is leading. Team B has possession and fumbles; team A recovers and returns the fumble, and also fumbles, recovered back by team B. Is the game over, won by team A, or does team B still have a another possession?

Also on Jobstr...

If a team did an on sides kick to begin overtime and recovered the ball could they win with a field goal

A youth (8B) football game last night in Wilmette Il. Offsve player ran with ball, contact made and fumbled at 3 yd line, ball went fwd to end zne, another offsve player recovered. Refs ruled a TD. Correct? Or if recoved by O, back to spt of Fmb

Concerning dead ball fouls, why are they only enforced if it happens after the play, why not if they happen during the play? By definition, fouls should not happen, period. Why offset during the play but not after? Makes no sense to me.

Football Official

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

Case Keenum against the bears,When he leaped and extended the ball for the first down and then fumbled, if Peterson recovered the ball behind the first down line would it have been a first down due to change of possession? because 1st down was made

A few weeks ago we saw onside kick in which kicker tossed ball 10 feet into air, hit ground, bounced 5-6 feet, and was easily kicked high. NFL later said that was illegal. Was that just the NFL, or was there something in rule book making illegal?

On a safety, QB flagged for illegal touch (bad snap & kick ball out instead of trying to recover). Smart play, but ref made the other coach choose to decline the penalty to get safety, No option for safety & apply penalty on freekick, Correct call?

In Overtime, team A is leading. Team B has possession and fumbles; team A recovers and returns the fumble, and also fumbles, recovered back by team B. Is the game over, won by team A, or does team B still have a another possession?

Also on Jobstr...

If a team did an on sides kick to begin overtime and recovered the ball could they win with a field goal

A youth (8B) football game last night in Wilmette Il. Offsve player ran with ball, contact made and fumbled at 3 yd line, ball went fwd to end zne, another offsve player recovered. Refs ruled a TD. Correct? Or if recoved by O, back to spt of Fmb

Concerning dead ball fouls, why are they only enforced if it happens after the play, why not if they happen during the play? By definition, fouls should not happen, period. Why offset during the play but not after? Makes no sense to me.

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