Weekly case plays provided by IACO

Week 9

1. During a scrimmage kick, R1 signals for a fair catch by: (a) extending and holding one arm above his head; or (b) partially extending and waving one hand in front of his face; or (c) fully extending and laterally waving both hands above his head or in front of the body without extending one hand at arm’s length above his head; or (d) extending and laterally waving one arm at full length above his head. 

2. End A1 sprints from the line and then cuts sharply toward the middle of the field. A1 makes no attempt to block defensive back B1. B1 pursues A1 and pushes him from the side using his open hands. Contact is made on A1's upper arm before the pass is thrown. A1 was moving away from B1 when the contact occurred. 

3. Fourth and five from K's 20-yard line, K is in an illegal formation at the snap. While K1's punt is in flight, beyond the expanded neutral zone, R2 blocks K8 in the back at the 50-yard line. R4 catches the kick at R's 36-yard line and returns it for a touchdown. 

Week 9 Answers

Week 8

1. A kickoff by K1 from K’s 40 is muffed by R1 near his 20-yard line. The muff is caught by K2 at the 18 and he advances into R’s end zone.

2. Team A sets with five players on its line numbered 50-79, while two teammates, both on the same side, are numbered 89 and 41. Number 41 is on the end and 89 is inside and next to him. Number 41 shifts to the backfield and Number 32, on the opposite side of the ball, shifts so he is on that end of the line. A touchdown pass is thrown to Number 89.

3. Prior to the ball being thrown during a play in which A1 catches a touchdown pass and advances for a touchdown, B1 holds A2 to prevent him from going out for a pass on the side away from the play. When given options, A elects to enforce the penalty for the defensive holding foul on the subsequent kickoff. During the successful two-point try, B1 is guilty of holding A1. Does A have the option of having the 10-yard penalty added on to the previous 10-yard penalty on the subsequent kickoff?

Week 8 Answers

Week 7

1. Fourth and 10 on K’s 45-yard line. K1 punts the ball beyond the neutral zone. R1 muffs the ball back behind the neutral zone where K1 recovers and: (a) falls on the ball at K’s 40-yard line; or (b) throws a forward pass to K3 which is complete at the 50-yard line and R1 interferes with K3; or (c) K1 punts the ball and R1 fair catches at his 30-yard line. 

2. Quarterback A1 drops back and throws a forward pass toward the sideline to A2 who is behind the neutral zone. A2 then throws a forward pass to A3 15 yards downfield. (a) B1 blocks A2 behind the line prior to A2 touching the ball; or (b) B1 tackles A2 prior to A2 touching the pass; or (c) B1 pushes A3 prior to A3 touching the pass, and B1 intercepts. 

3. On third and 10 from B’s 40-yard line, A1 runs out of bounds at B’s 35-yard line. After A1 is out of bounds, B1 charges into A1, knocking him to the ground. A2 retaliates by shoving B1. B1 then swears at A2. A’s coach swears at the wing official: (a) before the referee has determined the appropriate enforcement of the penalties; or (b) after the referee is giving his signals and the umpire begins marking off the enforcement. 

Week 7 Answers

Week 6

1. K1’s punt is high but short. R2, from well down field, runs toward the ball to get in position to attempt to catch it. K2 is also moving toward the ball or just standing there when: (a) K2 is contacted by R2; or (b) K2 causes R2 to veer away from the ball but there is no contact by K2. The ball strikes the ground and is recovered by R3.

2. A8, in B’s end zone, leaps in the air to catch a pass and is contacted by B2 forcing A8 to come down inbounds on B’s 1-yard line where he is downed. 

3. Blocker A1 has his hands and arms in legal position with the elbows outside the body and: (a) when B1 attempts to penetrate his block in an upright position, he contacts B1 above the shoulders with his forearm; or (b) as B2 ducks or submarines, A1 contacts him above the shoulder with his cupped hands. 

Week 6 Answers

Week 5

1. From his 40-yard line, K1 kicks the ball laterally and short on a kickoff, hoping his team can recover just beyond R’s free-kick line. The ball bounces immediately after being kicked. K1 is blocked by R1: (a) on his 42-yard line; or (b) on his 43-yard line, 5 yards from the sideline. 

2. An offensive and defensive player simultaneously gain possession of a live ball which is a: (a) legal forward pass and both players are touching inbounds; or (b) scrimmage kick muffed by R beyond the neutral zone; or (c) fumble by A1 on a running play. 

3. K’s free kick is bouncing on the ground in the neutral zone where R1 and K1 are engaged in blocking one another. K2 muffs the ball and the ball touches R1 on the leg and K3 recovers the ball. 

Week 5 Answers

Week 4

1. Fourth and 15 for A from its own 8-yard line. A1 is in punt formation and receives the snap in his end zone, but fumbles the ball. A1 quickly recovers and throws a forward pass to ineligible A2, who is also in the end zone. A2 muffs the ball and it falls incomplete. 

2. K1 in scrimmage-kick formation, muffs the snap, but quickly recovers and begins to run. However, K1 changes his mind and: (a) punts on the run; or (b) abruptly stops and punts. R1 is unable to stop his charge and forcibly contacts K1. R1 did not touch the kick. 

3. K1 kicks off to start the second half. The ball is rolling on R’s 7-yard line when R1: (a) accidentally, or (b) intentionally kicks the ball into his own end zone where R2 recovers. Is the kick by R1 in either (a) or (b) a new force? If the action is a foul, where is it penalized from? 

Week 4 Answers

Week 3

1. It is third and 3 on A’s 30 and A1 is downed short of the line to gain on his 28. Specialized kicker A12 immediately enters the field to replace A3 when the whistle is sounded, but prior to the referee signaling a time-out, because he had detected holding by B1. The captain of A accepts the penalty which results in first and 10 for A from its 38. Realizing the change of status: (a) A12 returns to his team box and is replaced by A3; or (b) A4 requests and is granted a charged time-out during which A12 returns to the team box. 

2. Following a third-down play, the game officials do not measure as the referee judges the line to gain clearly has not been reached. A lines up in punt formation. Just before assuming his set position, the captain of A requests a measurement. 

3. At the snap, A1 is in a position which is neither on the line of scrimmage nor clearly in the backfield. A1 is not on the line because neither his head nor his foot is breaking the plane through the waist of the snapper, and he is not a back because he is penetrating the plane through the waist of his nearest teammate, end A2, who is on the line. The position of A1 is inside that of end A2, who is clearly on the line of scrimmage. When the ball is snapped, both A1 and A2 go downfield and A1 catches a pass. 

Week 3 Answers

Week 2

1. Quarterback A1 is in position for a direct hand-to-hand snap. (a) A1 muffs the snap, but is able to take the ball from the ground and spike it forward; or (b) A1 receives the snap, but his spike attempt hits snapper A2's leg and ricochets into the air. A1 catches the ball and immediately spikes it forward.

2. The ball is free kicked from K's 40-yard line and in flight it crosses the 50-yard line before a strong wind blows it back to K's 45 where it (a) is touched in flight by K1, or (b) touches the ground and is recovered by K2.

3. Runner A1 advances 5 yards beyond the neutral zone to B's 3-yard line where he is tackled. As he is going down, A1 simulates a fumble by tossing the ball forward into the end zone where A2 downs it.

Week 2 Answers

Week 1

1. After the ready for play and prior to the ball being kicked, Team K has 5 players to the left of the kicker and 5 players to the right of the kicker with the ball spotted at the K40.  The potential kicker K1, is lined up at the K32 to begin his kick and all other K players are clearly outside of the K35.  As K1 approaches the kick, he suddenly slows down and K2 kicks the onside kick that is recovered by R.

2. On fourth and four from A’s 35-yard line, K comes to the line in a scrimmage kick formation.  After calling a few signals, A1 says “shift.”  All 11 players then make a movement.  Some players move to a new position for a scrimmage-kick formation, while four interior lineman remain in place and move from a hands-on-thighs position to an upright position and finally to a three-point-stance

3. Quarterback A1 takes the snap and hands the ball forward to back A2.  The handing is done: (a) behind; or (b) in; or (c) beyond the neutral zone.

Week 1 Answers