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Cruise Man I have to respectfully disagree. The neutral zone and the expanded neutral zone are not one and the same. The rules book clearly states instances if you are talking about the neutral zone or the expanded neutral zone. I feel it is clear that there is a distinction. 6-2-3 and 6-2-4 both talk about what is legal beyond and behind the neutral zone and expanded neutral zone. 6-2-5 states if any kicker touches a scrimmage kick beyond the expanded neutral zone before it is touched beyond the neutral zone by R it is called the spot of first touching. If these were the same thing then the rule book would not differentiate between them.
My last point I will make is this 7-5-1. It is a legal forward pass, if during a scrimmage down and before team possession has changed, a player of A throws the ball with both feet of the passer in or behind the neutral zone when the ball is released. If the neutral zone and the expanded neutral zone were one and the same then the passer would be able to release a pass up to two yards beyond the neutral zone and this would be a legal play. I think we both know if a passer released a pass 2 yards beyond the neutral zone we would have a penalty for an illegal forward pass. The neutral zone and the expanded neutral zone are not the same. I hope this helps.
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