Can someone please make sure I am getting the PSK enforcement correct.

A20 punts from the 50 yard line. B25 catches the ball on the 10 yard line. B45 holds A23 on the 25 yard line. Do we enforce the foul from the 25 or the 10? The ball was in the air at time of foul.

Thanks

The basic spot is the 10, where the kick ended. Since the foul occurred in front of the basic spot, the foul is penalized from the basic spot. 1st & 10 from the 5.

thanks!!!

That is what I thought.

One thing to remember on the enforcement ---
we were told to 'enforce from the spot that will do the most damage'.
Remember - the bean bag is a NEW BASIC SPOT and that's your key. You will never go in advance of that spot on a PSK. If the foul is BEHIND that spot - (say the 5 in your case) - you'd go from the 5. It does 'more damage'.

I don't agree with telling ANY official to penalize by what does the most damage. Too many new officials have been taught this and enforce penalties incorrectly. The BEST way to learn penalty enforcement is learn how to determine the basic spot. Then apply the all-but-one principle. Once you know the basic spot for any play, you can penalize accordingly.

I agree --The point I was making - and the one that was conveyed to us --- was don't even worry about what has happened beyond the PSK -- think of 'what will hurt them the most'. Yes - you always have to use the basic spot principle - but the 'damage' portion helps us keep things straight.

I agree Mike. That is one of my pet peeves--telling coaches and especially new officials to "penalize so it hurts them the most" or "does the most damage," etc. If you went just based on what does the most damage, then one might get the idea that a foul by the defense beyond the basic spot is enforced from the spot of the foul, when in fact that is never an enforcement spot for the defense. Know your play types, learn the concept of the basic spot, and apply the all-but-one principle.

Mike Sears is absolutely correct!!!
 

"Whatever hurts them the most" or "Whatever does more damage" are "old school" thinking and have no place in todays game.
Additionally, attempting to officiate using that logic will result in incorrect enforcements on many occasions such as fouls during loose ball plays!

High School rules are very simple!
ALL FOULS ARE ENFORCED FROM THE BASIC SPOT THEREFORE ALL YOU NEED TO LEARN IS HOW TO DETERMINE THE BASIC SPOT!

Here is how:
1) <b>RUNNING PLAY</b> - Basic spot is the <b>"End of the Run"</b>
2) <b>LOOSE BALL PLAY</b> - Basic Spot is the <b>"Previous spot"</b>
3) <b>DURING A SCRIMMAGE KICK</b> (Other than during a try or a successful field goal) - <b>"End of the kick"</b>
4) The <b>basic spot</b> is the <b>succeeding spot</b> for those fouls listed in <b>10-4-5</b>

Unless otherwise listed in Section 10-4 and Section 10-5 of your rule book a penalty for a foul is enforced from the basic spot with the exception of <b>a foul by the offense which occurs behind the basic spot</b> during a loose ball play, running play, or a scrimmage kick (other than a try or successful field goal) This particular foul <b>is enforced from the spot of the foul.</b>

Read Rule 10! Then re-read Rule 10!!!!!
<b>Don't listen to old "Rules of thumb"</b> as they will bury you!

REPLY: I agree with what everyone has said about avoiding the "whatever hurts them most" methodology for assessing penalties. That can only get someone into trouble. Consider what an offical using that theory would do if in the original play, B25 retreats after fielding the ball on his 10 and gets tackled on his 5. That official might just try to enforce from the 5.