Question: What is the rule NFHS rule regarding a blocked field goal attempt. Watched an attempt last week where the kick was blocked, the kicker picked up the ball and ran for a touchdown. Everyone on the defense just stood their like they expected the ball to be blown dead.

Nobody from the defensive team touched the ball (with the exception of the kid that blocked the kick).

perfectly legal

Any scrimmage kick can be recovered (or caught) behind the NZ and advanced by the kicking team in both NF and NCAA rules.

There is a slight difference between the codes that would limit that, but for your NFHS case play, that would not be a factor.

6-2-3 Any kicker may catch or recover a scrimmage kick while it is in or behind the neutral zone and advance, unless it is during a try.

I'm guessing there was a new lesson in practice the week after that play.

So if the kick never makes it beyond the NZ, can the defense pick up the blocked field goal attempt and run it for a TD?

The defense can pick up a kick and run with it anytime (except out of the EZ under NF rules).

Anytime? On a blocked PAT???

PAT wasn't part of your question, you asked about a field goal and he answered your question perfectly.

To answer your ammended question, no the ball is dead on a PAT attempt after it has been kicked once it has passed through the uprights or is obviously unsucessful. A PAT attempt is over and the ball dead when the ball is normally dead or when B secures possession of the ball.

[Edited by BulldogMcC on Oct 20th, 2005 at 12:04 PM]

Yes he did answer my question perfectly...and you answered the next one pefectly...thanks to both of you.

I probably should have explicitly stated that a scrimmage kick TRY attempt was exempted, but since we have been talking about scrimmage kick field goal attempts, I didn't think about it.

That being said, I think last year one or more states was experimenting with a possible rule change to allow team-B to score on a failed PAT attempt. Not sure if anyone is experimenting with that again this year, but they would be able to run back a blocked PAT.

Not true. An unsucessful field goal (because we are talking about that) becomes a touchback when it breaks the plane of the goal line.

??????
So what is not true about my statement?

Nothing is incorrect about your statement.

Trigger--he is saying that the "defense" can not bring the kick out of the endzone because it is already dead (NF).

Oregon is one of the states experimenting with keeping the ball live after a change of possession on a try attempt. This is our second year using this experiment.

LOL I've got one that makes your statement false. Defense signals faircatch.

How's that rule experiment going Jim?
Has there been any defensive scores as a result?

Actually, I'd be more interested in have there been any post-possession fouls against team-B while trying to run back the failed PAT.

got to agree with that one.

How's it going?

As a white hat, I will have to be in top shape to run 97 yds in the other direction!

We've been taught that as soon as the ball is kicked on a PAT, we are to blow it dead. Regardless of what happens after the kick. They want us to blow the whistle as soon the ball is kicked.

Now if R catches a skrimmage kick (not a PAT) and carries it into the EZ, it's still live in Fed isn't it?

A field goal attempt is no different than a punt. If R catches it on the field of play and then crosses over the goal line into the end zone it's live.

Technically, you have an IW if you blow the whistle before ball goes thru uprights. Apparently some anal coaches have brought the IW up with the high school league clinicians. At our state rules meetings, we were told to wait until the ball went thru...which we were doing anyway.

On a TRY?

On a FG attempt, the whistle can be blown when the ball crosses the plane of the goal line as it will either be a FG or a touchback.

I am assuming that you are from MN by your username. I grew up in MN and worked FB for 5 years there. I've lived outside of the state now for almost 5 years and have worked in MO now for 4 years. It is has been my experience that the MSHSL has absolutely no clue when it comes to football. Granted, that was a few years back and they might have changed or improved, but overall, they do not do a good job with FB. Focusing too much on hockey or something :)

Why would you have to wait to blow the whistle until the ball crosses the plain on a TRY? There is nothing that can happen once the ball is kicked. The only thing I can see coaches complaining about and the state saying to not blow the whistle is if the WH blows it dead immediately after the kick and then the kick gets blocked. IMHO that is a training moment, not a decree that you should wait until the ball is through the uprights or past the plain.

I too am from Minnesota and can verify that we have been told in uncertain terms that we should only blow the whistle on a try when it either is obvious that the try has failed or goes
through the uprights.
.
As a WH, when a kick for a try is blocked, I blow it dead.
Otherwise, it is the back judge who blows it dead when passing
the end line of the end zone or obviously no good.
.
That is the mechanic specified in the NFHS Officials manual.

As long as you don't run into those anal coaches, I guess you
are okay. ;)


I should also add that in MN if you want to work in the state tournament, you have to be evaluated by observers who are former football officials. They are trying hard to spread around the state quarter finals, semis and finals for all levels. I imagine that a crew would get marked down for blowing the whistle on the try as soon as it gets kicked, since they stress NOT doing that in the rules meetings.


[Edited by l3will on Oct 21st, 2005 at 02:16 PM]

Can't speak for Jim but in our part of the State it's going well. We have yet--now in the second year--to have any score from this in our area. The State posted results from last year and I can't find that document.

There have been many post-possession fouls. Below is a synopsis of how to administrate. All in all, it does add an element of excitment to the game.

1) During a try

A (or K) may score 2-points for a touchdown, 1-point for a field goal, or 1-point for a safety by B.
B (or R) may score 2-points for a touchdown or 1-point for safety by A.
2) All accepted fouls occurring before any change of possession are enforced the same as they were in 2003, allowing for three options:

Accept the penalty and replay the try following enforcement of the foul
Accept the penalty AND the result of the play with enforcement of the foul on the succeeding spot
Decline the penalty and accept the results of the play
3) All accepted fouls occurring after any change of possession are enforced on the succeeding spot, allowing for two options:

Accept the penalty (may keep or disallow any score) and have the foul enforced on the succeeding spot
Decline the penalty and accept the result of the play
4) If acceptance of a foul results in a safety, the offended team is awarded 1 point with no yardage assessment. The ensuing kickoff shall be from the 40-yard line.

5) If a double foul occurs the try is repeated. However if both teams foul and B has gained possession with "Clean Hands," B can accept the A foul creating a double foul and replay the try (with A putting the ball in play), OR, B can decline the A foul and the B foul will be enforced on the succeeding spot.

On a try A fumbles the ball, B picks it up and runs it back for a TD. During the run we have a block in the back at the 50 yd. line. What have we got?

If a foul occurs after ANY change of possession (regardless of any score) the offended team may:
a) Accept the penalty with enforcement of the foul at the succeeding spot, and may EITHER;
(i) Keep ANY score (if the foul was committed by the opponent of the scoring team), OR;
(ii) Disallow ANY score (if the foul was committed by the scoring team)
b) Decline the penalty and accept the result of the play.

I too thought you meant 'out of the back of the EZ' the first 3 times I read your statement...