Blocking below the waist.

[Agreen_14]

I have a million questions since this is my first year as an NFHS official in Ohio (OHSAA). My question is about blocking below the waist, outside the free blocking zone, on defense.

A runs a sweep to the outside. B blocks the lead blocker below the waist on B's 40 yard line. A continues to advance the ball, picks up a first down, and is tackled at their own 40 yard line.

Do I give the option of enforcement from the spot of the foul or tack on 15 yards to the end of the run or something else? I could not find the answer in any of the books to this particular play, so a ruleset would also be very appriciated.

Thanks,
Austin.

[Jim D]

You need to go through the regular litany -

What type of play is it? - It's a running play.(10-3-2)
Where is the basic spot for a running play - It's the end of the run.(10-4-4)
What the the All-but-One principle say? - Go from the basic spot unless the foul is by A behind the basic spot (10-6).

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by Agreen_14

A runs a sweep to the outside. B blocks the lead blocker below the waist on B's 40 yard line. A continues to advance the ball, picks up a first down, and is tackled at their own 40 yard line.

CANADIAN RULING:

BBW outside the Close Line Play Area (tackle to tackle, and within 2 yards of the LS) is illegal and is a 10 yard penalty enforced, in this case, from the previous spot (Previous Line of Scrimmage), and DR (down repeated).

[Agreen_14]

Please don't confuse, I thought I stated it was NFHS, is Canadian NFHS?

So my first thinking was correct than right? 15 yards tacked on to the end of the run?

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by Agreen_14

Please don't confuse, I thought I stated it was NFHS, is Canadian NFHS?

So my first thinking was correct than right? 15 yards tacked on to the end of the run?

There are a number of Canadian officials that post here, though not many as often as i do. I happen to know that there are many otehr Canadian officials that are only readers/lurkers, as I talk to them at conferences, etc and this website comes up in discussion.

That's why I post Canadian rulings - to help educate those who directly benefit from the original posts.

NFHS is the National Federation of High Schools, or the National Federation of State High School Associations. They govern high school athletic rules int eh US, which of course, has no bearing on Canadian football, and vice versa.

However, the plays that are mentioned here could happen in Canada, and I post the "Canadian Ruling". I work fairly hard to ensure that it's obvious that I'm talking about Canadian rules.

[Jim D]

Originally Posted by Agreen_14

So my first thinking was correct than right? 15 yards tacked on to the end of the run?

Yes, you were correct.
What I was trying to show, though, is penalty enforcement doesn't have to be a big mystery. All you have to do is go through the steps and you can figure out most penalties without too much trouble. There are a few exceptions like PSK that you have to learn, but you can handle the rest if you work through them step by step. What kind of play was it? Where is the basic spot? Where was the foul in relation to the basic spot? What does the all-but-one principle say?

[Agreen_14]

That helps a lot Jim, thanks. I have not heard this princible yet in class in regard to enforcing penaltys. Our instructor did say that he'd be going over penalty enforcement soon, so hopefully he teaches us this method.

[Agreen_14]

Hey Jim if you can, shoot a situation at me and I'll try to give the proper enforcement call using this method.

[Jim D]

You asked for it!

K is punting from their own 8 yard line - 4th and 12. K1 drops the snap and to prevent R from recovering the fumble, he kicks the ball at the 4 yard line into the end zone and out the back.

What are the options? It sounds comlicated but if you follow the above steps, you'll get it.

[Agreen_14]

It's a safety. If the force is the kick or any other "new" force by K then the ruling is a safety.

[Jim D]

The result of the play is a saftey but what if R decides K's kicker is poor so they accept the penalty. What is enforcement?

[Agreen_14]

I was affraid of this, I'm looking it up as we speak. I was 100% that is was a safety, but not sure what the enforcement of the penalty was... My first guess would be that the basic spot is the previous spot and the penalty is 15 yards, or half the distance to the goal in this situation??

[Jim D]

Yes but there is no need to guess. You have to learn the difference between loose ball plays and running plays. Since this is a fumble behind the line, it is a loose ball play. Then you have to know the basic spot, but that's easy since it is the previous spot for loose ball plays or the end of the run for running plays. Finally, you have to know the all but one principle but that's easy too.

Loose ball play
Basic spot is the previous spot (where the ball was snapped)
Foul by the offense behind the basic spot (the "one" in All but one) so we penalize half the distance from the spot of the foul (4 yard line). K will re-kick Fourth and 18 from the 2 yard line.

[Mike L]

I would avoid saying "A will re-kick" unless we are talking about free kicks. You have no guarantees that A will kick again even though it's very likely.

[Agreen_14]

Got it. I missed the all but one, haven't covered that yet so hopefully I'll understand it a little better when I get there. I had half the distance to the goal from the previous spot (8 yard line.)

It is a 15 yard penalty though if the kicker was to do that say at the 50 yard line?