Rule 2The Foundation of the

RulesMike Pasenelli

CACPFO Rules InterpreterRevised 22 February 2011

Go over key parts of rule 2

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Our Mission

7-5-13, on page 62 An ineligible A player has illegally touched a

forward pass if he bats, muffs or catches a legal forward pass, unless the pass has first been touched by B.

Assumes: you know the definition of each of the underlined words.

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Why Rule 2 Is So Important

These are highlights only, and are designed to get you into a habit of using the books

I picked out things that are vital to understanding some basic concepts, and things that are not usually discussed by announcers, players or coaches

You have to study rule 2 over and over

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Key Parts of Rule 2

At all times during the game, the ball is either live or dead A dead ball is a ball not in play To have a live ball, you must have the ball declared ready

for play (2-35), then you must have a legal snap or a legal free kick

Prior to a legal snap or legal free kick, if any of 7 fouls occur, they cause the ball to remain dead• You must learn what these• They all have signal 7 in the penalty

No live-ball foul causes the ball to become dead (Fundamental III.2, page 80)

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Ball Live and Dead: 2-1

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Ball Live & Dead 2-1

DEAD BALL

READY FOR PLAY

SNAP OR FREE KICK

LIVE BALL

END OF DOWN

DEAD BALL

2 kinds of neutral zones:• Free kick neutral zones• Scrimmage down neutral zones

Free kick:• The space between the 2 free kick lines, which are

normally the 40 and the 50 on kickoffs• Can be moved by penalty

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Neutral Zone: 2-28

Neutral Zone during a Scrimmage down:• The space between the lines of scrimmage• Line of scrimmage: 2-25-1, the vertical plane through

the point of the ball nearest each team’s goal line• It is exactly one ball length wide

The neutral zone is established when the ball is declared ready for play (2-35)

It may be expanded following the snap up to 2 yards behind the defensive line of scrimmage, in the field of play

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Neutral Zone: 2-28

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Neutral Zone-Scrimmage Downs

Neutral Zone

Neutral Zone

Line of Scrimmage

Line of Scrimmage

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Neutral Zone-Free Kick Downs

Kickers’ free kick line

Receivers’ free kick line

Neutral Zone

2-32-14: The player who snaps the ball is the snapper, not the center

Not defined, but alluded to: an end• A player on the line of scrimmage who has no other

player on the line of scrimmage outside of him 2-32-3: Back: An A player who has no part of his

body breaks the plane of an imaginary line drawn through the waist of the nearest teammate who is legally on the line. For our purposes, B players are either on the line of scrimmage or they’re not.

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Player Designations: 2-32

2-32-3: Note that the player who is going to receive a direct hand to hand snap is, by definition, a back: commonly referred to as the QB

2-32-9: Lineman: An A player who:• Is facing his opponent’s goal line with his shoulders

approximately parallel to it, and• His head or foot breaking an imaginary line drawn

parallel to the line of scrimmage through the waist of the snapper.

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Player Designations: 2-32

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on theline

in thebackfield

in "limbo"i.e. Illegal Position

Rule 2-32-9

Rule 2-32-3

Legal Position at the Snap- on the line- in the backfield

A back is any Team A player, except for the player under the snapper, who has no part of his body breaking the plane of an imaginary line drawn parallel to the line of scrimmage through the waist of the nearest teammate who is legally on the line except for the player under thesnapper, who is also considered a back.

A lineman is any Team A player who is facing his opponent's goal line with the line of his shoulders approximately parallel thereto and with his head or foot breaking the plane of an imaginary line drawn parallel to the line of scrimmage through the waist of the snapper when the ball is snapped.

Snapper

Bob MasucciJuly, 2000

88 826054

6573 77

2536

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Free-blocking Zone 2-17

Initial contact made below the waist, not against a runner

If the initial contact is with the hands, you do not have BBW

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Blocking Below the Waist 2-3-7

A delayed block, andAt the knees or below, andAgainst an opponent who is in contact with a teammate of the blocker, and

In the free blocking zoneNote: illustration has the wrong rule reference, should be 2-3-8

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Chop Block 2-3-8

Clipping is a block against an opponent when• The initial contact is from behind• At or below the waist• Not against an opponent who is a runner or pretending

to be a runner 2-32-13: Runner is a player in possession of a live

ball or is simulating possession of a live ball

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Clipping/Blocking in the Back 2-5

By definition, it is not possible to trip the runner

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Tripping: 2-45

Batting is an intentional act It consists of intentionally slapping or striking the

ball with the arm or hand For a player to bat the ball, he must make an

intentional act An ineligible A player has illegally touched a

forward pass if he bats, muffs or catches a legal forward pass, unless the pass has first been touched by B.

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Batting 2-2

Means more than simply gaining possession• Possession of the ball in flight

2-34-1: Possession implies being held or controlled• And first coming to the ground inbounds

If an airborne player receives the ball and lands so his first contact is inbounds, then he has caught the ball.

If the first contact is out of bounds, then there is no catch and the pass is incomplete

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Catch 2-4

A catch of a pass thrown by an opponent

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Interception 2-23

Catching the ball is always preceded by touching If touching the ball causes it to become dead,

securing possession of it is meaningless An ineligible A player has illegally touched a

forward pass if he bats, muffs or catches a legal forward pass, unless the pass has first been touched by B.

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Catching 2-4-2 & Touching 2-44

A catch means the ball has not hit the ground Gaining possession of a live ball after it strikes

the ground is a recovery Catch, interception or recovery only tells you

about the status of the ball, not the player• A player can recover a kick or fumble while on his feet• A player can catch or intercept a pass or fumble while

he is down on the ground

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Catching 2-4 & Recovery 2-36

A catch or recovery in which there is • Joint possession of a live ball• By opposing players• Who are inbounds

A simultaneous catch or recovery causes the ball to become dead and it belongs to the offense

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Simultaneous Catch or Recovery 2-4-3

A muff is the touching of a loose ball in an unsuccessful attempt to secure possession

A fumble is any loss of player possession other than by handing, passing or a legal kick

Key difference: a fumble means a player had possession and then lost it• Forward pass caught and fumbled equals live ball• Forward pass muffed and hits the ground is

incomplete

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Muff 2-27 & Fumble 2-18

Catching the ball is always preceded by touching If touching the ball causes it to become dead,

securing possession of it is meaningless An ineligible A player has illegally touched a

forward pass if he bats, muffs or catches a legal forward pass, unless the pass has first been touched by B.

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Catching 2-4-2 & Touching 2-44

Of a free kick• A catch by a receiver• In or beyond the neutral zone to the receiver’s goal line• After a valid signal

Of a scrimmage kick• A catch by a receiver• Beyond the neutral zone to the receiver’s goal line• After a valid signal

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Fair Catch: 2-9

In return for protection from being blocked or tackled, the receiver gives up the right to advance the ball

Awarded fair catch-a choice an offended team has for kick-catching interference

Valid fair catch signal:• Extending and lateral waving of one arm, at full arms

length above the head, by a receiver

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Fair Catch: 2-9

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Invalid/Illegal Fair Catch Signals: 2-9

Invalid-any signal by a receiver before the kick is caught or recovered• That does not

meet the requirements of a valid signal

• After the kick has touched a receiver

• After the kick has touched the ground

Illegal-any signal by a runner◦ After the kick has

been caught◦ After the kick has

been recovered

Where?• In the field of play

Who?• By any K player

When?• Before it crosses R’s free kick line and before it is

touched there by any R player

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First Touching of A Free Kick 2-12-1

Where?• In the field of play

Who?• By any K player

When?• Beyond the neutral zone expanded and before it is

touched there by R and before it has come to rest

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First Touching of A Scrimmage Kick 2-12-2

2 kinds of downs:• Scrimmage downs• Free kick downs

Scrimmage downs begin with a legal snap Free kick downs start with a legal kick All downs end when the ball next becomes dead

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Down: 2-7

The loss of the right to replay the down Does not automatically mean that the next down

will be a higher number There are 5 fouls that carry a loss of down

penalty: Opie’s hand pass touches the ground• OPI• Illegal handing• Illegal forward pass• Illegal touching• Intentional grounding

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Loss of Down: 2-7

A player is illegally in the neutral zone• During the time when the ball is marked ready for play

until the ball is snapped or free kicked An entering substitute is not considered a player

for encroachment purposes until he is on his side of the neutral zone

We don’t have “offsides” in our code

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Encroachment: 2-8

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The field is 160’ wide It is divided into thirds in the field of play (2-10-

2), which is the area bounded by the boundary lines and the goal lines

The things that divide the field into thirds are hash marks

The lines in the back of the end zones are the end lines

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Lines and Field: 2-26, 2-10

Any attempt by a player or non-player• To strike or engage a player or non-player in a combative manner unrelated to football

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Fighting 2-11

Short version—what and who put the ball in the end zone?• When the ball goes from the field of play into the end

zone, we have to know what and who put it there Can be from a carry, snap, pass, fumble or kick Can’t be from muffing or batting a pass, kick or

fumble in flight

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Force 2-13

Kicks going into R’s end zone-force is not a factor

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Force 2-13

2-16-1: A foul is a rule infraction for which a penalty is prescribed

Committing illegal touching is a foul 2-16-5: A penalty is a result imposed by rule

against a team or team member that has committed a foul• Most often a yardage penalty• Can be an automatic first down or loss of down or

something else

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Fouls and Penalties

2-16-2a: Dead ball foul, as opposed to a live ball foul

2-16-2b: Double is one or more live ball fouls (not non-player or USC) committed by each team

2-16-2e: Multiple means 2 or more against the same team

2-16-2c: Flagrant-a very severe foul

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Fouls and Penalties

Transferring player possession from one player to a teammate in such a way that the ball is still in contact with the 1st player when it is touched by the teammate-handing is not a pass

Forward handing occurs when the runner releases the ball when the entire ball is beyond the yard line where the runner is positioned

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Handing the Ball: 2-19

2-24-1: Kicking is an intentional act• If a player is attempting to recover a loose ball and he hits it with his foot, that is not a kick

We have 2 types of kicks:• Free kicks• Scrimmage kicks

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Kicks: 2-24

Any legal kick from in or behind the neutral zone

Place kick (attempting a field goal or try)• Ball is in a fixed position on the ground or on a tee• Can have a teammate be the holder

Drop kick (attempting a field goal or try)• Player drops the ball and kicks it when it touces the

ground or as it is rising from the ground Punt-player drops the ball and kicks it before it

touches the ground

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Scrimmage Kicks: 2-24

Free kicks• Kickoff

Beginning of each half After a successful field goal After any try Place kick/drop kick

• Free kick following a safety (place kick/drop kick/punt)• Fair catch/awarded fair catch (place kick/drop kick)

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Free Kicks: 2-24

You must memorize the following: “A kick is a kick until it’s possessed or is dead by

rule.” It is one of the simplest statements to make, but

easiest to forget It has major implications during kicking downs

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Kicks: 2-24-2

Any intentional striking of the ball that does not comply with articles 3 and 4:• Kicking a ball that is loose on the ground• Kicking a ball beyond the line of scrimmage• Kicking a ball beyond the free-kick line• Kicking a ball after a change of possession

After an illegal kick, the ball is treated as a fumble

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Illegal Kicks: 2-24-9

There are only 2 kinds of passes:• Forward passes• Backward passes

What’s not on the list: “lateral” How the passer throws the pass does not

matter, and, for purposes of forward or backward, where he throws it from does not matter

What matters is whether the pass was forward or backward

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Passes: 2-31

The determination as to whether a pass is forward of backward is determined by the initial direction of the pass

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Passes: 2-31

A spot is a place on the field 2-41-4: Inbounds spot

• We only snap or free kick the ball between the inbounds lines (hashmarks), so when the ball is dead in a side zone or out of bounds we next snap it from the inbounds spot

2-41-10: Succeeding spot• Where the ball would next be snapped or free kicked if a

foul had not occurred.

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Spots: 2-41

2-41-6: PSK spot• The spot where the kick ends

2-41-9: Spot where the run ends• Where the ball becomes dead in the runner’s possession• Where the runner loses player possession if the run is

followed by a loose ball

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Spots: 2-41

Go over key parts of rule 2

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Our Mission