PENALTY ENFORCEMENT Darrell Leftwich & Glenn Jackson Metropolitan Football Officials Association

PENALTY VS. FOULPENALTY VS. FOUL F FOUL: A Rule Infraction For Which a Penalty is Prescribed. PENALTY: The Consequences of Such a Rule Infraction --- Accepted Or Declined

PENALTY VS. FOUL THEY ARE NOT THE SAME! “Foul” Is To “Crime” as “Penalty” Is To “Punishment”

“LOOSE BALL PLAY” ACTION DURING: –Free kick or scrimmage kick. –Legal Forward Pass. –Backward pass, illegal kick, or fumble in or behind the neutral zone. –Run preceding such legal or illegal kick, legal forward pass, backward pass, or fumble (in or behind the neutral zone). All others are a “Running Play.”

“END OF RUN” Where ball becomes dead in a runner’s possession. Where runner loses possession if his run is followed by a loose ball.

LIVE BALL FOULS FINAL RESULT IS A TOUCHBACK RUNNING PLAY FOUL AT SNAP LOOSE BALL PLAY SUCCEEDING SPOT END OF RUN PREVIOUS SPOT PREVIOUS SPOT “BASIC SPOTS”

“ALL BUT ONE” PRINCIPLE A penalty for a foul occurring during a play is enforced from the BASIC SPOT with the exception of a foul by the offense (including a foul by R during a kick return) that occurs behind the basic spot during a loose ball or running play. This type of foul is enforced from the spot of the foul.

DEAD BALL FOULS NON-PLAYER AND UNSPORTSMANLIKE FOULS SUCCEEDING SPOT SUCCEEDING SPOT

FOULS WITH LOSS OF DOWN 1.ILLEGAL FORWARD HANDING 2.ILLEGAL FORWARD PASS a. INCLUDING INTENTIONAL GROUNDING b. 2 nd or more forward passes during a down. c. Pass from beyond Neutral Zone. 3. ILLEGAL TOUCHING

FOULS WITH AUTOMATIC FIRST DOWN 1.ROUGHING KICKER 2.ROUGHING PASSER 3.ROUGHING SNAPPER 4.ROUGHING HOLDER

PASSING PLAY Behind Beyond Hold by A76 ENFORCED FROM SPOT OF THE FOUL Complete to A87 (Downed after 5 yard run) Run Pass

10 yards from Spot of the Foul

PASSING PLAY Behind Beyond Pass Interference by B34 ENFORCED FROM PREVIOUS SPOT Run Pass Pass Incomplete

15 yards from Previous Spot

RUNNING OR LOOSE BALL PLAY? Behind Beyond Completed Pass To A85 ENFORCED FROM SPOT OF FOUL Runner Advances And is Tackled Block in Back By A45 RUNNING PLAY Run Pass

10 yards from Spot of Foul

PASSING PLAY Behind Beyond Intentional Grounding ENFORCED FROM SPOT OF FOUL Run Pass

5 yards from Spot of Foul; Loss of Down

RUNNING PLAY Behind Beyond Clip by A88 ENFORCED FROM SPOT OF FOUL RUN ENDS Run Pass

15 yards from Spot of Foul

RUNNING PLAY Behind Beyond Clip by A88 ENFORCED FROM END OF RUN RUN ENDS Run Pass

15 yards from End of Run

RUNNING PLAY Behind Beyond Facemask by B54 ENFORCED FROM END OF RUN RUN ENDS Run Pass

5 yards from End of Run

15 yards from End of Run

RUNNING PLAY Behind Beyond Facemask by B54 ENFORCED FROM END OF RUN (SPOT OF FUMBLE) FUMBLE!!! RECOVERED BY A47 (Downed Immediately) Run Pass

5 yards from End of Run

15 yards from End of Run

RUNNING PLAY Behind Beyond Clip by A59 ENFORCED FROM SPOT OF FOUL FUMBLE!!! RECOVERED BY A47 (Downed Immediately) Run Pass

15 yards from Spot of Foul

Post-Scrimmage Kick Enforcement Spot Spot where kick ends when R fouls: –During scrimmage kick plays (NOT on a try). –The ball crosses, and the foul occurs beyond, the neutral zone expanded. –The foul occurs BEFORE the kick ends. –K does NOT have possession when down ends. If R fouls BEHIND the post-scrimmage kick spot, enforcement is from the spot of the foul.

SCRIMMAGE KICK Behind Beyond Illegal block by R59 ENFORCED FROM PSK SPOT Kick Ends Kick Returned to 47 yd. line Run Kick

15 yards from PSK Spot

SCRIMMAGE KICK Behind Beyond Illegal block by R59 ENFORCED FROM SPOT OF FOUL Kick Ends Kick Returned to 47 yd. line Run Kick

15 yards from Spot of Foul

SCRIMMAGE KICK Behind Beyond Facemask by K37 ENFORCED FROM PREVIOUS SPOT Kick Ends Kick Returned to 47 yd. line Run Kick

5 yards from Previous Spot

15 yards from Previous Spot

DOUBLE FOUL ENFORCEMENT Whenever there is a “double foul” situation (live ball fouls by both teams), fouls off-set and there are no options for the teams. Dead ball fouls, non-player fouls, and unsportsmanlike fouls CAN NOT be combined with a live-ball foul to create a double foul situation. ALL dead ball fouls, non-player fouls, and unsportsmanlike fouls MUST be administered in the order they occurred.

DOUBLE FOUL ?? Behind Beyond Hold by A37 NO DOUBLE FOUL; BOTH ENFORCED Play Ends B23 punches A46 after the play Run Pass

10 yards from Spot of Foul FIRST ENFORCE THEN ENFORCE 15 yards from Succeeding Spot

DOUBLE FOUL ENFORCEMENT INVOLVING A CHANGE OF POSSESSION Team gaining FINAL possession must have gained possession with “clean hands” Dead ball fouls, non-player fouls, and unsportsmanlike fouls CAN NOT be combined with a live-ball foul to create a double foul situation. ALL dead ball fouls, non-player fouls, and unsportsmanlike fouls MUST be administered in the order they occurred.

DOUBLE FOUL ENFORCEMENT INVOLVING A CHANGE OF POSSESSION Foul by A PRIOR to change of possession And Foul by B PRIOR to change of possession Offsetting Penalties Foul by A PRIOR to change of possession And Foul by B AFTER to change of possession B can decline foul And keep possession; Foul by B MUST Be enforced

DOUBLE FOUL ENFORCEMENT INVOLVING A CHANGE OF POSSESSION Foul by A AFTER change of possession And Foul by B AFTER change of possession B can decline foul And keep possession; Foul by B MUST Be enforced Foul by B PRIOR to change of possession And Foul by A AFTER change of possession Offsetting Penalties

DOUBLE FOUL WITH POSSESSION CHANGE Behind Beyond Illegal Motion by A23 NO DOUBLE FOUL IF B DECLINES A’S FOUL FUMBLE AND POSSESSION CHANGE B23 clips A46 Play Ends Run Pass

FIRST SIGNAL

15 yards from Spot of the Foul THEN ENFORCE

DOUBLE FOUL WITH POSSESSION CHANGE Behind Beyond Hold by A51 DOUBLE FOUL; REPLAY DOWN FUMBLE AND POSSESSION CHANGE Facemask by B23 Play Ends Run Pass

DOUBLE FOUL WITH POSSESSION CHANGE Behind Beyond Facemask by A51 NO DOUBLE FOUL; IF B DECLINES A’S FOUL FUMBLE AND POSSESSION CHANGE Hold by B23 Play Ends Run Pass

FIRST SIGNALS

SECOND SIGNAL 10 yards from Spot of the Foul

MULTIPLE FOULS When a team commits more than one live-ball foul on a given play, only ONE foul may be enforced. Dead ball fouls, non-player fouls, and unsportsmanlike fouls CAN NOT be combined with a live-ball foul to create a multiple foul situation. ALL dead ball fouls, non-player fouls, and unsportsmanlike fouls MUST be administered in the order they occurred.

“HALF THE DISTANCE” Penalty enforcement can NOT move the ball more than half the distance from the enforcement spot to the offending team’s goal line. If in this situation, the ball is placed halfway from the enforcement spot to the goal line. Be aware whenever you have a 15 yard penalty and the “enforcement spot” is inside the 30 yard line.

FOUL BY B IN A’s ENDZONE If the result of the play is a safety, the goal line is the enforcement spot. If the result of the play is a touchback, the succeeding spot (20 yard line) is the enforcement spot.

FOUL BY A IN A’s END ZONE When measurement of a penalty is in or behind the goal line, it is a SAFETY.

SPECIAL ENFORCEMENT: ROUGHING THE PASSER Enforcement spot is the end of the last run (if it ends beyond the neutral zone with no change of possession). Otherwise enforce from the previous spot. Automatic First Down.

ROUGHING THE PASSER Behind Beyond Roughing the Passer Enforced from End of Run Pass Caught Runner Downed Run Pass

15 yards from End of the Run; Automatic First Down

ROUGHING THE PASSER Behind Beyond Roughing the Passer Enforced from End Of the Last Run Pass Caught FUMBLE!! Run Pass A87 recovers And advances Five yards, Then downed

15 yards from End of the Last Run; Automatic First Down

ROUGHING THE PASSER Behind Beyond Roughing the Passer Enforced from Previous Spot Pass Caught FUMBLE!! Run Pass B54 recovers And advances Five yards, Then downed

15 yards from Previous Spot; Automatic First Down

ROUGHING THE PASSER Behind Beyond Roughing the Passer Enforced from Previous Spot Pass Incomplete Run Pass

15 yards from Previous Spot; Automatic First Down

SPECIAL ENFORCEMENT: FREE KICK OUT-OF-BOUNDS UNTOUCHED BY R R has three choices: –Accept a 5 yard penalty from the previous spot and have K re-kick. –Put the ball in play at the inbounds spot 25 yards beyond the previous spot (usually the R’s 35 yard line). –Decline penalty and put ball in play at the inbounds spot.

SPECIAL ENFORCEMENT: KICK-CATCHING INTERFERENCE 15 yard penalty from previous spot. OR R may choose an “awarded fair catch” at the spot of the foul.

SPECIAL ENFORCEMENT: FOUL BY OPPONENTS OF THE SCORING TEAM ON A SUCCESSFUL… TOUCHDOWN: Scoring team may accept the play (touchdown) and have the penalty enforced from the succeeding spot (on the try). FIELD GOAL AND TRY: Scoring team my EITHER accept the penalty and replay the down following enforcement OR accept the result of the play and enforce penalty from the succeeding spot (the kickoff).

SPECIAL ENFORCEMENT: “UNFAIR ACTS” A player, non-player, or person not subject to the rules may not hinder play by a situation not covered in the rules. No team shall intentionally commit fouls that half the distance to the goal. No team may commit acts that make a “travesty” of the game. Referee has the authority to enforce ANY penalty he deems equitable; including awarding a score or forfeiting the game.