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The 'all but one' principle in penalty enforecement is this - There are four fouls that can occur during a play, a foul by the defense behind the basic spot, a foul by the defense beyond the basic spot, a foul by the offense beyond the basic spot and.....a foul by the offense behind the basic spot. All fouls but this one (the foul by the offense behind the basic spot) are enforced from the basic spot. That one, however, is enforced from the spot of the foul. If its a loose ball play (e.g. a forward pass), the basic spot is the previous spot. If its a running play, the basic spot is the end of the run (where the runner is downed or loses possession). If A fouls behind the basic spot on a running play, the offense is given the advantage of all yardage gained without the aid of the foul. Therefore, the foul is measured from the spot of such foul. On a loose ball play, a hold (or any other foul by A) behind the basic spot (the previous spot) is enforced from the spot of said foul.
There you have it. Maybe you already knew this but didn't know the term 'all but one'. Knowing it makes all the difference in enforcing penalties correctly. Knowing definitions (what's a loose ball play vs. what's not) coupled with the all but one will ensure correct rulings regardless of the situation - you can always break down a play piece by piece and get the right ruling.
[Edited by ABoselli on Dec 21st, 2002 at 12:41 PM]
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