[gene2112]

I've been calling ball for several years now and am usually the UMP. I saw something last night that has got me thinking.

4th and almost a yard to go. QB lines up under center and takes the snap. As soon as the ball is "in" his hands, he pushes the ball towards the ground between the center's legs, thereby forcing a (a) incomplete pass? or (b) fumble? Since I saw the play in it's entirety I could tell that the QB didn't lose control of the football, it was an effort to try to advance the ball by fumbling.

Anyways, the center or left guard leapt forward and smothered the ball at the 1st down marker. Now I had a big decision to make. I think since I saw that it was intentional I could have called it an incomplete pass for a legal spike to the ground. However, I wasn't thinking that fast, and in retrospect it's probably a good thing because I don't know if I'll ever see the action so blatantly done again (I was in a lucky place at a lucky time at a lucky angle).

Here's the gist of my point: If indeed it was a fumble, according to the NFHS rulebook in 7-4-2 any member of the offense can recover a fumble, BUT in 7-4-3-b it states that the offense would lose the ball on a fourth down play if the fumble "becomes dead inbounds while no player is in possession". How would that be possible if a fumble is always considered a live ball while it remains inbounds? Could this be referring to a fumble like I mentioned in my story and we blow the ball dead and then mark our spot at (a) spot of the fumble, or (b) where the QB was when he fumbled, or (c) back at the previous line of scrimmage?

Anyways, since I didn't rule the ball incomplete we eventually ruled that the ball was dead when it hit the ground, change of possession. Then (this is funny), the coach asks us to measure to see if it was a first down. I said "It's a first down coach, but going the other way!" He wasn't happy.

Tell me what we did wrong (or right) and if there's solid precedent set for this type of play.

This is a long message and I'm sorry, but it's a complex issue.