Spotting the Ball

[MD Longhorn]

It's always dependent on where the ball is when ...... well - there's the rub.

On a play where the ball carrier contacts the ground (i.e. is tackled) - it's where the ball is when he first contacts the bround.

On a play like you describe when it's a pile of people - it's where the ball is when the official on the spot deems that the player's forward progress is stopped (which can vary widely from what Joe Generic Fan thinks should be the spot).

On a play near the sideline, it's where the ball is when the player FIRST contacts out of bounds (with exceptions around the goal line that I don't want to go into right now).