Illegal Forward Pass from End Zone on Free Kick

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by bisonlj

K kicks off to start the second half and R80 catches it 5 yards deep in the end zone. Another player from R steps in front of him to keep him from running it out. R80 never takes a knee and the covering official doesn't blow the play dead. R80 then flips the ball foward to the official who jumps out of the way because it is still a live ball. The ball is recovered by R at the 3 yard line as the official throws a flag for an illegal forward pass.

CANADIAN RULING:

As soon as R80 catches the ball in the EZ, the clock starts. We don't have a touchback, so we don't have that case where the clock starts only when the returner crosses into the field of play. (This case may be an NFL-only thing, though.)

R80's flip forward is an offside pass subject to penalty: this act is flagged and the spot of the origin of the offside pass must be known: most officials will mark that spot with the flag, or use a mental note. This spot is the EZ. When R recovers at the 3, the play is dead.

The offside pass is not defined as a foul, but it does restrict R from legally advancing the ball

K's option:

• decline the offside pass, and it is R 1D/10 @ R-3
• accept the offside pass, and the result of the play is like the play ended at the point of origin of the offside pass, which is why the covering official needs to know that spot. A kickoff that goes into the EZ and is recovered in the EZ and goes dead in the EZ without getting out of the EZ is the infamous rouge: single point for K, then R 1D/10 @ R-35.

The fact that the offside pass (subject to penalty) is not defined as a foul means that there is not "one more play" if times runs out during this play, as there is with all other reasons for a flag to be thrown. So if K is losing by a point, or the game is tied, K can tie the game, or win the game, respectively, if this situation were to happen.