Play?

[Bob M.]

REPLY: A few years back (2003, I think) the Fed made an imprudent change to NF 3-3-3 to say that if a foul occurred during the last down of a period (note: it used to say the last timed down) and the penalty was accepted, the down would be replayed. I believe they did it so that they would no longer need the note which said that if a an accepted penalty occurred during the extended down, they'd need to do it again until a foul-free down occurred. In any case, as a result, the try was still a down and any fouls during the try would fall under the rule as well. As a result even fouls that carried over would require that the succeeding kickoff be part of an extended quarter. Once they realized how they had inadvertently screwed it up, they changed the rule 2004 to read as it had in 2002 and before with the appropriate reference to fouls occurring druing the last timed down.