[Ed Hickland]

Originally posted by Middleman

This is not a foul during a loose ball play. You are correct that it is a foul behind the basic spot.

When Ed changed his play (he moved the previous spot from B's 35 to A's 35) he changed it from a loose ball play to a running play, because the fumble was beyond the neutral zone. After Ed's change, the basic spot became the 50, the spot where the related run ended. The enforcement is still from A's 47, but the basic spot that MJ and I were responding to was B's 35.

I'm wondering if Ed didn't also get his A's and B's mixed up on the spot of the foul and the spot of the recovery when he penned his scenario. The ruling would be different if the illegal block by A89 had occurred on B's 47 and the ball recovered on B's 45 (he said "There is a scramble for the ball as it rolls forward.") That play would have been more challenging. If that were the case, enforcement would be from the 50 (not the spot of the foul) and you end up putting the ball back on A's 35, 1st and 10 all over again.

That's why bean bags are important.

Middleman bean bags are important and so are conferences because think we would be doing one after this play.

The trick to the question originally is where and how would you enforce the penalty.

Let's leave the play as is even though the balls rolls forward and ends up going backward, we all know footballs bounce kinda funny.

The key to the play is whether you rule the the foul during a loose ball play or a running play.

The correct answer is the ball is loose during a loose ball play while in team possession of A. Middleman is correct, we need to see a bean bag at the 50 because that is the spot where possession is lost. The 50 becomes the previous spot for a loose ball foul.

The trick involves the all-but-one principle because the foul occurs behind the basic spot. And, the basic spot becomes the previous spot on a loose ball play. So the spot of enforcement becomes the spot of the foul A's 47.

As to the ball rolling forward. What I originally intended was to have the ball roll forward to B's 45 and the illegal block occur at B's 47. My thought is that there would be confusion over the enforcement spot between B's 45 and 47.

The correct answer would have been neither spot because the 50 is the basic spot on that play also.

As to loose ball plays and fouls. A loose ball play can occur anywhere at any time. The important thing is when the ball comes loose, put a bean bag on the spot.

Thanks to everyone for correcting me on this one and making a much more interesting play.

Question? If this was incorrectly enforced, how many coaches would know to question it?