[Bob M.]

REPLY: I know I'm a little late responding, but I'll take a shot anyway...

Ernie’s plays always are geared toward NCAA rulings, but I’ll give them a shot wearing my Federation hat. NCAA rulings would be different.

1. A 2/4 B30. A88 catches a legal forward pass and runs to the B5, where he is hit and fumbles the ball high into the air. B99, seeing that A90 is going to catch it, bats the ball into the endzone where it rolls across the end line.

RULING: Touchback, B 1/10 @ B’s 20. Clock on snap. No new force for muffing--or batting--a fumble in flight.

2. A 4/10 A4. A99's punt is high and short. B88 is waiting to field the punt. Before the ball can be caught, A77 blows up B88 with a vicious hit at the B40. The ball hits B88 and rolls to the B45 where A66 recovers while grounded. After the hit, but before the ball is recovered, B88 swears at A77. During the play, B78 is flagged for running into the kicker.

RULING: First of all, eject A77 assuming that his hit was a flagrant personal foul. Secondly, the ball hitting B88 is ignored because he was blocked (“blown up”) into it. Therefore, A66’s recovery constitutes a first touch as well as causing the ball to become dead. B78’s foul is not PSK-enforceable because of where it took place. Therefore, you have a double foul—replay the down. But you’ve got the DBF against B88. March off the 15 – Result: A, 1-10 from A’s 19. Clock on the snap (new series following a legal kick). Seems a little inequitable considering A’s personal foul.

3. A 2/10 B15. On a sweep around the left end, the A32 carries the ball to the B4, where he is hit and fumbles. The ball goes up in the air and B99, who has been chasing A32, catches the ball in the air at the B-2 and his momentum carries him into his end zone. He regains his balance and attempts to run the ball out of the end zone, is hit, fumbles and the ball rolls out of bounds at the B3.

RULING: B, 1/10 from B’s 3. Clock on snap

4. A 3/11 A49. There is a man in motion across the formation and at the snap he is between the Tackle and Tight End. He continues to a spot 3 yards outside of the Tight End, stops, and goes back towards the spot of the snap and blocks low below the waist against the Linebacker at the 50. The ball carrier runs the to the B35 where he is forced out of bounds.

RULING: BBW. A, 3/25 from A’s 35. Clock on snap.

5. A 3/10 A30. At the snap, the Blocking back is lined up stationary behind the Right Tackle. On a Wide Receiver reverse, this back is now leading the blocking, runs out around the right end position and blocks back towards the spot of the snap, low against the Defensive Back at the A34. The Wide Receiver is tripped at the A45, fumbles and the ball rolls out of bounds at the A49.

RULING: Play – A 1/10 from A’s 49 (ridiculous); Penalty – BBW. A, 3/21 from A’s 19. Clock on snap.

6. A 3/4 B7. The Defensive End blocks the Tight End below the waist immediately after the snap at the LOS. The Quarterback scrambles to the B4 where he fumbles. The Defensive Back seeing that the Quarterback was going to recover the ball, deliberately bats the ball backward into his end zone. Another B player recovers the ball with his foot on the end line. A was illegally in motion at the snap

RULING: Fouls by each team where there is no change of possession – Double Foul; A replays 3rd and 4 from B’s 7. Clock on snap.

7. A 2/6 B40. The Right Tackle false starts just prior to the Center snapping the ball. The Defensive Lineman not reacting to the whistles and flags and seeing the QB with the ball runs into the backfield and throws the Quarterback to the ground.

RULING: A, 2/11 from B’s 45. Then penalize DBF. A, 1/10 from B’s 30. Might need to eject the defensive lineman (depends on severity of hit on QB). Clock status depends on whether or not it was running at time of FS.