NFHS FOOTBALL CASE PLAYS - RULE 6 KICKING THE

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NFHS FOOTBALL CASE PLAYS - RULE 6 (KICKING THE

BALL AND FAIR CATCH) EXAM QUESTIONS

Actual Qs and Ans Expert-Verified Explanation

This Exam contains:

-Guarantee passing score -43 Questions and Answers -format set of multiple-choice -Expert-Verified Explanation Question 1: 6.1.9 SITUATION A:

The free kick by K1 is possessed by R1 who:

(a) is airborne and alights with one foot in contact with the sideline at his 26, or(b) contacts the sideline on the 26 after completing the catch.

Answer:

RULING: In (a) and (b), R will put the ball in play, first and 10, from its 26-yard line because R1 caused the ball to go out of bounds at the 26. (2-4-1) Question 2: 6.2.7 SITUATION: Fourth and 3 for K from their own 10-yard line. A scrimmage kick by K1 is muffed in flight prior to being grounded beyond the neutral zone by R1 and rebounds back into K's end zone where it is simultaneously recovered by opposing players.

Answer:

RULING: Touchdown for R. If K is in possession in K's end zone at the end of the down, it is a safety. If R is in possession or if there is joint possession, it is a touchdown. The ball is awarded to R when any scrimmage kick is out of bounds between the goal lines, becomes dead inbounds between the goal lines while no player is in possession or becomes dead inbounds anywhere while opponents are in joint possession. Since the kick was muffed beyond the neutral zone and there has been no possession, it is still a kick into K's own end zone. (4-2-2e, 8-2-1b)

Question 3: 6.5.3 SITUATION: R1 signals for a fair catch of a scrimmage kick by K1. Teammate R2 catches the kick and is tackled immediately by K1 who did or did not have a chance to see the signal. The contact which was not a personal foul occurred before the covering official sounded his whistle. R2 fumbles when tackled and the ball is recovered by K2.

Answer:

RULING: The ball became dead when it was caught by R2. The contact by K1 was not a foul because R2 did not signal for a fair catch. R2 fumbled a dead ball and there could be no recovery by K2.COMMENT: Contacting a receiver who did not give a fair-catch signal or contacting a receiver who has given a signal but is contacted where he cannot make a fair catch, is not a foul unless the contact is judged by the game official to be a personal foul. The receiver is not afforded special protection in such situations. Members of the kicking team have the responsibility for knowing when the ball is dead. If a kicker could not have seen a fair-catch signal made by the teammate of the receiver, there is no foul.However, if he could have seen the signal, he does not have license to contact the receiver. (4-2-2g) Question 4: 6.1.9 SITUATION B: The free kick by K1 from K's 40-yard line: (a) is touched by R1 at R's 5-yard line and goes out of bounds at the 8-yard line; or (b) is muffed by R1 at his 15-yard line and then touched by K2 before it rolls out of bounds at R's 10-yard line; or (c) bounces out of bounds on R's 30-yard line untouched by R or K.

Answer:

RULING: In (a) and (b), the ball belongs to R at the inbounds spot. In (c), it is a foul by K. The receivers may accept the 5-yard penalty and have K free kick from K's 35-yard line, accept a 5-yard penalty from the succeeding spot, take the ball at the inbounds spot at R's 35 which is 25 yards beyond the previous spot, or take the ball at the inbounds spot. (2-41-4, 6-1-10) Question 5: 6.2.6 SITUATION: What is the reason for having an expanded neutral zone during scrimmage kicks and how does it affect the touching of a low kick in that area?

Answer:

RULING: The purpose of expanding the neutral zone during a scrimmage kick is to permit normal line play. The neutral zone is expanded up to a maximum of 2 yards behind the defensive line of scrimmage (beyond the neutral zone) to allow offensive linemen to block and drive defensive linemen off the line of scrimmage. Low scrimmage kicks may touch or be touched by players of K or R, and such touching is ignored if the kick has not been beyond the expanded neutral zone. The zone disintegrates immediately when the kick has crossed the expanded zone or when the trajectory is such that it cannot be touched until it comes down. Once the zone disintegrates, touching of the kick by K in flight beyond the neutral zone is kick-catching interference if an R player is in position to catch the ball. If touched by R beyond the neutral zone, it establishes a new series. (2-28-2, 5-1-3f, 6-5-6)

Question 6: 6.5.6 SITUATION A: K2's punt is partially blocked by R1 in or behind the neutral zone and it then travels beyond the neutral zone. R2 is in position to catch the ball, but it first touches K2's shoulder before hitting the ground where it is recovered by R2.

Answer:

RULING: Since R1's touching is ignored, it is kick-catching interference by K2, because R2 was in position to catch the ball.Question 7: 6.1.9 SITUATION D: K1 tries an onside kick from K's 40-yard line. As the ball bounces near the sideline, the ball is muffed out-of-bounds by K2 at R's 49.

Answer:

RULING: R may accept the 5-yard penalty and have K free kick from K's 35-yard line, accept a 5-yard penalty from the succeeding spot, take the ball at the inbounds spot at R's 35 which is 25 yards beyond the previous spot, or take the ball at the inbounds spot.Question 8: 6.5.6 SITUATION B: K1's punt is coming down over R's 15-yard line and (a) R2 is in position to catch the ball, or (b) all R players have moved away from where the ball will land. In both (a) and (b), K3 catches the ball.

Answer:

RULING: In (a), it is kick-catching interference and R has the option to take the results of the play, or accept the 15-yard penalty for kick-catching interference. If the distance penalty is accepted, it is R's choice to have the penalty enforced from the spot of the foul or to have it enforced from the previous spot and require K to rekick. In (b), the play is legal and the ball is dead as soon as K3 catches it. The spot of the catch is also a spot of first touching and R will put the ball in play on that yard line, first and 10.Question 9: 6.1.9 SITUATION C: R1 is running near a sideline as he attempts to catch a free kick in flight. R1 has: (a) both feet inbounds; or(b) one foot on the sideline, when he reaches through the plane of the sideline.The ball bounces off his hands and lands out of bounds.

Answer:

RULING: In (a), the ball is not yet out of bounds until it hit the ground there. Since R1 touched it, he caused it to go out of bounds and R will have the ball at the inbounds spot. In (b), since R1 is out of bounds when the ball is touched, the kicker has caused the ball to be out of bounds.

Question 10: *6.2 SITUATION: R returns K's scrimmage kick for a touchdown and (a) during the kick, K commits a holding foul, or (b) during the runback, K commits a foul for blocking below the waist.

Answer:

RULING: In (a), the succeeding spot from this play is the goal line (touchdown). Therefore R may accept the distance penalty enforced on the try or decline the penalty. In either case, the touchdown will score; however, since the foul occurred before the change of possession, there is no option to enforce the distance penalty from the succeeding kickoff. In (b), because the foul occurred on a play in which a touchdown was scored after the change in possession, R can count the touchdown and have the penalty enforced on the try or on the succeeding kickoff per 8-2-3. (6-1-9, 8-2-3) Question 11: 6.1.3 SITUATION B: After the ready for play and prior to the ball being kicked, Team K has five players to the left of the kicker and five players to the right of the kicker with the ball spotted at the K40. Prior to the ball being kicked, player K2: (a) has both feet just beyond the K35 (toward midfield); (b) has a foot touching the K35; (c) has one foot touching beyond the K35 toward the K36 and one foot behind the K35; or (d) K has both feet clearly beyond the K35 (toward midfield) but his hand is touching behind the K35 (toward K's goal line).

Answer:

RULING: Legal in (a) and (d). Free kick infraction in (b) and (c).

Question 12: 6.3.1 SITUATION A: A scrimmage kick by K1 comes to rest on R's 6-yard line. R1 attempts to recover and advance,

but muffs the ball so that it rolls into the end zone where:

(a) R2 downs the ball; or(b) R3 recovers and advances out of the end zone; or(c) K2 recovers and downs the ball in the end zone.

Answer:

RULING: The ball became dead as soon as it broke the plane of R's goal line. It is a touchback in (a), (b) and (c). The kick had not ended because muffing does not constitute possession, therefore, it is a kick into R's end zone which is an automatic touchback. The covering official should sound the whistle immediately when the ball becomes dead as a result of breaking the goal-line plane. Force is not a factor on kicks going into R's end zone. R will put the ball in play, first and 10, from their 20-yard line.(2-24-2, 8-5-3a) Question 13: 6.5.2 SITUATION B: K2's punt is high and a strong wind blows it back toward the neutral zone. R1 gives a valid signal while he is beyond the neutral zone. However, the ball comes down: (a) in, or (b) behind the neutral zone and K2 pushes R1 and then catches the kick and advances.

Answer:

RULING: Since K may catch or recover a scrimmage kick in or behind the neutral zone and advance, the action in (a) and (b) is legal. Since R may not fair catch in or behind the neutral zone, he may be