[QUOTE]
Originally posted by James Neil
Quote:
Originally posted by mikesears
Quote:
Originally posted by Bob M.
REPLY:
(b) Because A85 made it back behind the neutral zone and fumbles, this once again becomes a loose ball play. I don't see anything in the rulebook that says the nuetral zone dissolves after the ball has crossed out of the zone. (Please correct me if I am wrong). A fumble by A in or behind the neutral zone and any run (or runs) that precede it is treated as a loose ball play. Basic spot then becomes the previous spot and that is where the penalty is enforced from. 3rd & 3 from the A-25.
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Mike , I believe you can have multiple running plays pre down but there can only be one loose ball play .
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That may be true, sorta, and I don't I don't really want to split hairs on the issue, but the rule (10-3-1b and other places I believe) states: A loose-ball play is...a...fumble made by A from in or behind the neutral zone and prior to a change of team possession." So, bascially, any time there is a fumble behind the NZ and team possession has not changed during the down, it would be a loose ball play (even if a run, pass, etc. took the ball beyond the NZ, just so the fumble occured once the ball was back behind the NZ). Now, if A fumbled behind the NZ, recovers the fumble, and proceeds to fumble again behind the NZ, we could argue about whether or not these are separate loose ball plays, but the basic spot remains the same for all (previous spot).
On the other hand, if A has 1/10 from its own 20 yard line, runs to the 25, fumbles, recovers, then runs to the 30 and fumbles again, we definitely have two running plays here. The basic spot for the first (the "first" run, and action during the first loose ball) is the 25, and the basic spot for the second running play (the run after the fumble is recovered and action during the loose ball after the 2nd fumble) is the 30.
Finally, to go back to what Mike said, when A85 fumbles behind the NZ, it "becomes" a loose ball play "again," but I don't think it would necessarily qualify as a "new" loose ball play, per se. This is really a matter of semantics, and I don't think (?) it would have a bearing on penalty enforcement. I hope all of that makes sense.
[Edited by PSU213 on Jun 19th, 2005 at 10:28 AM]