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

2 extra point questions:
After touchdown team decides to go for 2 points. T make it but incur holding penalty. Back 10 yards can they now chgange to 1 point kick??
2 - Decision to go for 2 but get up to line calls time out. can they now go for 1?

Asked by Bill Miller about 7 years ago

Yes and yes. A PAT is a scrimmage play and, as with any play from scrimmage, you can call any play you want. A PAT is a scrimmage kick and, as on a punt (another scrimmage kick) you can change your mind after s penalty.

can an offensive lineman be called for a block in the back when a rusher beats them to try and get to the quarterback

Asked by umpref15 about 9 years ago

I will definitively say, maybe. If the lineman maintains contact with the rusher and the opponent ends up facing away from the blocker, then no. It's continuous action and the original contact - that was legal - is continuing. However, if the defender gets past him and contact is lost, and then the O lineman pushes him in the back, then yes it can be IBB.

Watching the Pitt/Jax game. A. Brown catches a pass and goes out of bounds. The clock keeps running. Huh?

Asked by Doug about 8 years ago

First, in the NFL, outside of two minutes remaining in each half, the clock is started once the ball is spotted after the runner goes out of bounds. And the clock is stopped when a runner goes OOB. Now, in your situation, the only thing I can think of is that Brown had forward progress and then was pushed OOB. In that case, he technically didn't go out of bounds. Rather, he was stopped while in bounds and that ended the play. Not the going OOB.

If a interference penalty is called in the e.z. and it is the last play of the half, the ball is placed at the one, but on the ensuing play, the offense is called for pre snap movement, is the extra play still runafter a 5 yard march off.

Asked by bucky110 over 8 years ago

Placed at the one in the NFL, at the 2 in NCAA play. If there was a false start, then there was no play. Yes, the five-yard penalty is enforced and then the offense runs the untimed down from the 6 or 7, depending on the level. In high school, it is simply a 15 yard penalty from the previos spot.

On a kickoff, say the receiver catches the ball straddling the endzone, he hesitates, and here's the other team. He can't go fwd., he may get a safety, so he decides to throw the ball out of bounds. An illegal forward pass but they keep the ball?

Asked by Scott about 8 years ago

Hey, coach! Tell your player to either catch it in the field of play or in the endzone. No indecision!!

Generally, officials will give the player the benefit of the doubt and say he's in the endzone. But if he is obviously straddling the line as you describe, he's caused all of us problems. It matters where the ball is, not the player. But if he throws it, he just screwed the pooch. If he throws it backwards, it's alive and the kicking team could recover it. If he throws it out of bounds backwards, it's a safety. If he throws it forward from the endzone, it's an illegal forward pass and the penalty is marked from the spot of the foul -- safety.

If a member of the punting team touches the ball on the 2 yard line, and knocks it into the end zone where his teammate covers the ball, is it a touchback?

Asked by James Dean over 7 years ago

Yes. The axiom is "a kick is a kick is a kick". If K touches the ball, it is "illegal" or "first" touching, depending on the level (HS, NCAA). But the ball as you describe it is still considered a kick, so being downed in the endzone makes it a touchback.

Yo, if the quarterback fumbles the ball behind the line of scrimmage, then for some reason, instead of recovering it or picking it up, he kicks it off the ground through the uprights, is that a field goal?

Asked by Zach over 8 years ago

Yo? Really?

No. What you describe is a foul. Intentionally kicking a ball - not a scrimmage kick - is a foul.