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

Team A is on 4th and 10 and punts, Team B receives and while returning fumbles and team A recovers. Who would have the next set of downs?

Asked by Ron over 7 years ago

Sometimes you folks ask a question that makes me think. This one, though, is too easy. As with any time in the game, when one team fumbles and the other recovers, it belongs to the recovering team. Here, it's 1st and 10 for A.

4th and 10 from the K20. After the punt, Punter K1 is roughed by R1. R2 makes a fair catch at the R40 where he his hit late by K2. What do we have?

Asked by D from KC over 6 years ago

 You You have a live ball foul, roughing the kicker, and a dead ball foul come the late hit. And we're going to enforce both. A is going to keep the ball because B got the ball with "dirty hands".  So we enforce the 15 yd penalty for roughing first. which gives A the first down. But then we enforce the late hit against A and bring it back 15 yd. So therefore we have A 1/10 @ A20. We're enforcing both fouls.

Is it illegal to snatch the ball from them? For context I’m much faster than my friend, I ran in front of him and snatched the ball as I ran past and neither of us went down, I continued to make a touch down but they say it’s a foul, can you help?

Asked by Desmond over 6 years ago

Uuuuh, that's strange. Why didn't they just give you the ball.

I think what you're describing is forward handing. That is a foul since the ball was handed (or "snatched") forward. It's like a hand off by the receivers on a punt or kickoff The ball usually is handed to the player running behind, not to the player in front to avoid the penalty.

Okay so we’re taking high school football. It was 7-6 and they went for two. His helmet crossed the line but the ball did not. They counted it. What would you say

Asked by rorog03@icloud.com over 6 years ago

By rule, that is not a touchdown. And that's the case at any level of football

In NFL overtime, if the first team to possess the ball scores a touchdown after a 10 minute drive that expires the overtime period, what happens next?

Asked by Dallas1960 over 6 years ago

Everyone goes home. Unlike in college or high school OT, in the NFL both teams don't have to have a possession if the first score is a touchdown.

My understanding is that by college football rules.. a player in possession and control of the ball, whose knee touches the ground is down at that spot and the play is dead. Is this true in absolutely every circumstance ?

Asked by mercury over 6 years ago

I can't think of a time it's not, so yes. But by asking the question, you obviously heard of, or saw, something that didn't go that way.

Our team kicks a pooch kickoff to the opposing team's 25. Kick bounces and our player reaches to recover, but hits the ball to R's 5 yard line. R recovers at the 5, but officials place ball at spot of K's touching (25). Is this correct?

Asked by Trevor over 6 years ago

You don't say whether this is a free kick or a scrimmage kick. If it's a scrimmage kick, the officials dd it right. Kickers can't touch a scrimmage kick that has crossed the line of scrimmage until it touches a receiver player. By touching it at the 25 you have first (high school) or illegal (NCAA) touching. That gives the ball to the receiving team at the spit of first touching. Possible additional fun: you say your player "hit" the ball from the 25 to the 5. That could be considered an illegal bat by the kickers.

If this is a free kick, your player could have recovered the untouched kick and it would be your ball at the spot of recovery -- of course, without an illegal bat.