Lefty, Blind -- Rules Question

[Terry in Crapchester]

This actually happened in my son's youth football game. Among the fathers at the game, there was significant disagreement with what the refs did. I'll tell you what happened later, but I wanted your take.

Here's the scenario: Packers vs. Bears, time running out in the first half. Packers have the ball, and throw an interception, returned by the Bears for an apparent touchdown. However, the touchdown is nullified by an illegal block in the back penalty. Time in the first half expires on the play.

After enforcement of the penalty, what's the ruling?

[TheJON]

I just learned the dumbest rule ever today and the NCAA might want to explain why this is the ruling. So UNI kicks a FG with 7 seconds left and no timeouts. It is blocked but allegedly did not pass the line of scrimmage and is recovered by UNI and so this would give the kicking team another kick. Got no problem with that. What I do have a problem with is how on earth can the clock NOT continue to run? How is this a dead ball? This is no different than a fumble recovery by the offense. Clock does not stop in that scenario. I know the ref explained the ruling over the mic and Ferentz said it was the right call after the game. So I'm not saying the refs did anything wrong. But this rule makes no sense at all.

[Mr T]

I just learned the dumbest rule ever today and the NCAA might want to explain why this is the ruling. So UNI kicks a FG with 7 seconds left and no timeouts. It is blocked but allegedly did not pass the line of scrimmage and is recovered by UNI and so this would give the kicking team another kick. Got no problem with that. What I do have a problem with is how on earth can the clock NOT continue to run? How is this a dead ball? This is no different than a fumble recovery by the offense. Clock does not stop in that scenario. I know the ref explained the ruling over the mic and Ferentz said it was the right call after the game. So I'm not saying the refs did anything wrong. But this rule makes no sense at all.

Only heard about the game.

But I am guessing it was only 2nd or 3rd down for UNI, so they had another down to kick the ball since the ball didnt not cross the line of scrimmage. This is why a lot of teams kick last seconds fgs before 4th down. In case of a bad snap, you can fall on it. Or if it is blocked backwards you can re-kick it, if you recover it.

Time shouldve started after the ref blew his whistle. Was UNI already at the line ready to go when the ref set the ball? Might be why they were able to snap it before time ran out.

[BlindRef]

This actually happened in my son's youth football game. Among the fathers at the game, there was significant disagreement with what the refs did. I'll tell you what happened later, but I wanted your take.

Here's the scenario: Packers vs. Bears, time running out in the first half. Packers have the ball, and throw an interception, returned by the Bears for an apparent touchdown. However, the touchdown is nullified by an illegal block in the back penalty. Time in the first half expires on the play.

After enforcement of the penalty, what's the ruling?

There should be another timed down. You can't end a game on on an enforced penalty.



As for the Iowa situation.


For some reason, which I don't quite get myself the rule in football is that if the ball is kicked, regardless of who has it at the end of the possession, the clock starts on the snap. Essentially they treat it as though once the ball leaves the kicker's foot, its a change of possession.

Lefty might have a better explanation.

[Left Seater]

In the NCAA what Frozen said is correct. The Packers have to accept the penalty otherwise the TD would stand. So Bears ball 1st and 10 from the spot of the foul minus the enforcement. (Enforcement could be half the distance to goal depending on where foul occurs.) 1 untimed down.

Now that said some youth football leagues have modified rules, but I can't see them changing this one.


Iowa situation: A scrimmage kick remains live until it touches the ground, a player or official beyond the line of scrimmage. So a kick blocked by the defense behind or on the LOS is still a live ball as long as it remains behind the LOS. If it is blocked and then is first touched again beyond the LOS by the defending team it is a live ball.

As to your question about the clock it is just one of those rules. Let's say the Panthers had the ball on the 7 yard line and they run the ball into the Iowa endzone with 3 seconds left on the clock. During the run there is a holding penalty on the Panthers and the ball is now on the 17 with three seconds left. The clock will start on the snap because the last location of the ball when dead was the endzone. Any play where the ball becomes dead in the endzone, the clock will start on the snap. Same with a scrimmage kick. Any play following a scrimmage kick the clock will start on the snap.

[TheJON]

Any play following a scrimmage kick the clock will start on the snap.

Thinking about it that way makes the rule less dumb. Clock doesn't continue running following a kickoff or punt, so I can see what the NCAA is thinking.

BUT.......

It was 1st down for UNI and they ran a play, albeit a FG attempt. The ball was recovered as a live ball and advanced by the UNI player that recovered the ball and now it is 2nd down. So to me, it makes more sense to keep the clock running since this isn't a change of possession.

[Left Seater]

Petition the coaches, they make the rules.