I had this play last Thursday-Thank goodness it was a lower level game.

A1's punt is blocked by B1. A2 catches the blocked punt and circles backward while trying to figure out what to do. A2 then passes the ball to A3 who again circles around. A3 then passes the ball which is intercepted by B2 and taken back for a touchdown. The ball never crosses the neutral zone. Is there anything that precludes A from passing the ball after a blocked punt? I love this game.

This play sounds kosher to me. Ball never crossed neutral zone, so therefore A could pass as many times behind the line of scrimmage. Remember, there can be as many passes on a play as A wants as long as they're from behind the line of scrimmage, and no ineligible players are downfield.

TD.

The play is legal.

I wanted to comment on the part of some of the statements that says: "the ball never crossed the line". The fact that the ball never crossed the line has no effect on the play. If the ball is passed or carried beyond the LOS and then returned it can be passed again from behind the line. All ineligbles have the same restrictions on a multiple pass down as a single pass down. Those restrictions end with the last pass of the down the same way as a single pass..

Years ago, in our area, a very good team was going to follow a screen pass with a downfield pass to the original passer. The first receiver blew the play and went downfield , the passer threw to him, he caught it realizing he was beyond the LOS returned behind the LOS and threw a TD pass to the original passer. Flipper Anderson, later a wide receiver for the LA RAMS was one of the two players involved in the play.

The next week I was the Umpire in their game. The coach answered no trick plays when asked by the Referee. I asked about "the play from last week" and he told me it was an accident.

That's true about the passes. There it has no effect.

But if the punt had crossed the scrimmage line and K recovered there, we should be blowing the play dead.

The only restrictions that might apply here is for all the passes to come from behind the line, that all the ineligibles had stayed in or behind the neutral zone until after the last pass, and that all the passes occur before any change of possession.

Called a 9th grade game that threw a forward pass to the end who was behind the LOS and then he threw another forward pass to the TE for a TD. The defensive team went nuts and after chewing on the HL about it being illegal, he flat out told them to ask me because they were not listening to him about it being legal. Of course I told them it was legal. One guy commented that he needed to look it up because he still did not believe it.
Willing to bet it has been added to their offensive plays since.

NCAA Rules
 

Hi, Everyone is talking about these plays being legal...
I just want to check that is for NF only right?

NCAA defines a forward pass as:
2.19.2.a - A forward pass is determined by the point where the ball first strikes [x] beyond the spot of the pass.

Then rule 7.3.1 -
Team A may make one forward pass during each scrimmage down before team possession changes, provided the pass is thrown from a point in or behind the neutral zone.

Illegal Foward Pass
7.3.2.c - If it is the second forward pass by Team A during the same down.


James

Re: NCAA Rules
 

Yes that is fed rules we are talking about.

Canadian Ruling
 

Touchdown.

I've been doing football for several years. I'm always astounded by officials that don't want to do any lower level football. Two issues: (1) You're going to see a much higher percentage of "wierd" plays from the 9th-11th graders then you are from varsity/college players and (2) I'm not saying the kids in the lower level games don't deserve our full attention, work ethic and effort but if you screw up on Tuesday it's a lot better then making a mistake on Friday night or Saturday afternoon. I called the play a touchdown and no one said a word. What it did was force me to search the rule book, again, which makes for a better official. As always thanks for everyones help.