NFHS Test Part II Q.62
 

"If R1 accidentally goes out of bounds during a scrimmage kick and then returns and catches the punt, it is a foul for illegal participation."

I say true based on rule 9-6-4 "....It is illegal participation: a. When any player, replaced player, substitute, coach, trainer or other attendant enters and participates during a down." 9-6-1 does not apply, since R-1 is not A or K.... The rules make no exception for "R1 accidentally" doing anything.

The NFHS answer key says that question #62 is false!?!?

How?

JimO.

I think you have quoted the answer to your question but you just don't realize it.

9-6-2 says that no player shall intentionally leave the field and return so you don't have that.
9-6-3 says that nobody other than the 11 players that are on the field may affect the play and you don't have that.
9-6-4a says that if player 11 comes on the field after the snap he has committed illegal participation and you sure don't have that.
9-6-1 says that A and K are restricted from accidentally leaving the field and returning. This implies that B and R are not restricted from this action. So when R1 accidentally left the field and returned there was no foul.

Had R1 gone OOB and returned after R2 had caught the punt then you would have IP.

REPLY: warren...I think you might want to reconsider this. Remember that designations A, B, K, R don't change during the down--even though possession might and the restriction does not apply to R. Also notice that the restriction against going OOB and returning is only for the interval "prior to a change of possession." After a change of possession, this restriction vanishes -- for both teams.

Maybe you're right.

I don't want to boost your ego too much. ;)

REPLY: Whatever you might do to boost it, I have a boss and a wife to fix that.

Maybe we have more in common than I thought. :o

The answer is false.

9-6-4 address a player coming off the sideline during the down.

R1 was leaglly on the field, accidentally went OOB and then re-entered. Perfectly legal.

Face it, you missed it. :)

I disagree.....

R-1 is a player, leagally on the field. 9-6-4 says "Any player" may not enter and participate. A player is one who is on the field. That implies that if R1, the player, exits on his own, he may not return and participate.

JimO.

Well, you're free to disagree but you're still mistaken.

9-6-4a is addressing a situation where a player enters during the down.

R1 can accidentally go OOB, return, and participate provided it's during the kick.

I don't think you're going to get much support for your IP call.

Give me a rule reference that says that R can accidentally go out of bounds. I certainly can't find one. The only reference to anyone legally going out of bounds is "Being Blocked out", and that certainly doesn't apply in this instance.

JimO.

9-6-2 is all you need. No player can INTENTIONALLY........that infers that a player can accidentally go out of bounds and return.

When it's you against the world, bet on the world.

All you have to do is read Rule 9-6-1 which says:

"Prior to a change of possession or when there is no change of possession, no player of A or K shall go out of bounds and return during the down unless blocked out of bounds by an opponent. If a player is blocked out of bounds by an opponent and returns inbounds during the down, he shall return at the first opportunity."

Peace

Show me a rule that says he can't.

Rules tell us what's illegal, for the most part. If there was a rule for every single action that addressed something that was legal, the rule book would be as thick as the NYC phone book. Rich has quoted the only rule I need to know that Rich, Warren, the NFHS, and myself are correct.