Please clarify a call
 

First off I'm not a football official - any insight from the pros on this particular penalty assessment would be helpful.

While watching NCAA football this past weekend I recall a ruling that I was not aware of:
Team A has 2nd &12 and attempts a pass that falls incomplete. During the play a Team B player is flagged for a 5yd minor face-mask against the QB.

The white cap's call is for a 5 yard markoff from the previous spot and "due to the ball crossing the line 'o scrimmage" - it was an automatic first down. I thought it would have been 2nd & 7. Any clarification is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

There have been many debates over this rule when the foul occurs against the passer, but the way the rule is currently written and because the passer is also eligible to catch a pass then that would be the correct ruling. Here is the rule.

Rule 9-3-4-e. When a legal forward pass crosses the neutral zone during a foward pass play and a contact foul that is not pass interference is committed, the enforcement spot is the previous spot.

Penalty: 5, 10, or 15 yards from the basic spot, plus first down if the foul occurred against an eligible receiver prior to the pass being touched.

I know the rule Jason, but is the intent of that to also award that in the case of the QB getting fouled as in this case? Not saying it is wrong, just wondering if there are any AR's which show this with that being the explanation.

No one knows. By the wording of the rule, yes. But as this has been debated ad nauseum and to no definitive conclusion as to how we would not enforce this particular rule when the foul victim is the QB, we have to go with the rule itself. No AR mimics this or clarifies the QB as being an exception to the "any eligible receiver" part of this rule. There are many who feel this is wrong, but we have no recourse with the current rulebook.

I thought there was a JA memo last year that stated that a foul against the QB on a play such as this was not going to get team-A an auto-1st down.

Thanks for the responses.

In regards to this scenario, is the foul somewhat akin to illegal contact/defensive holding? Can I assume it would depend if the ball was in the air when the foul occurred??

By the same token, Can a QB complete a legal forward pass to himself if he is the first to touch the ball???

I just like to learn the correct calls and this forum is a real good tool. Thanks again.

The foul is somewhat similar to illegal contact and defensive holding but it makes no difference if the foul occurred before the pass or after the pass, just as long as a pass is evetually thrown and it crosses the line of scrimmage.

Yes the QB can throw a legal forward pass to himself.