1. Region One Football Officials Association
Rule Topics:
Force
Rule book references: Rule 2 (force), Rule 8.5 (force, safety, touchback); Rule 10 (enforcement of penalties)
We Are All Here to Learn

2. Force (from field of play into endzone)
Rule : Force is the result of energy by a player which provides movement of the ball
Force is used only in connection with the goal line & in only 1 direction (from field of play into the endzone)
Initial Force results from:
Carry
Fumble
Kick
Pass
Snap
A new force may result from bat, muff, or illegal kick of a:
Fumble has been grounded
Kick has been grounded
Backward Pass has been grounded

3. Force Not a Factor For:
Kicks going into R’s end zone (touchback regardless of who supplied the force)
Backward pass or fumble declared dead (with no player possession) in the end zone of the opponent of the player who passed or fumbled (TD by rule)

4. Fundamentals: Touchback or Safety
Unless there is momentum, a player in possession of ball & downed in their endzone is either a Safety or Touchback - Key is force that put ball into the endzone
Team forces ball into their own endzone & if downed there = Safety
Team forces ball into opponent’s endzone & if opponent downed there = Touchback
Player in possession of ball in opponent’s endzone = Touchdown
Foul committed by team in possession of the ball in their own endzone = Safety
Punt blocked by R through the endzone and OOB = Safety (force is the punt because it was not grounded)
A2 fumbles at his own 2 yard line. Ball is still in the air & legally batted into the end zone by B where it is recovered by A = Safety (A forced ball into endzone)
Same as above, except the ball is grounded and rolling away from the end zone and B’s legal bat is determined to be a new force = Touchback (A’s ball at 20 yd line)

5. Loose ball is in A’s possession when it enters the end zone
Team A’s End Zone
Team B’s End Zone
Out of Bounds
Safety - B A
Out of Bounds
Touchback - B
A or No Player has it
Safety - B A
A or No Player has it
Touchdown - A
B has ball
Touchdown - B A
B has ball
Touchback - B
Out of Bounds
Touchback - A B
Out of Bounds
Safety - A
After we talk about how the ball gets into the endzone, we will talk about what happens if a foul occurs
A or no player has it
Touchback - A B
A or No Player has it
Touchdown - A
B has ball
Touchdown - B B
B has ball
Safety - A