How do you identify eligible/ineligible recievers?

[ajmc]

Originally Posted by Brandon Kincer

Also, If I see an ineligible downfield on pass where would I throw the flag and how would it be enforced? and If that ineligible reciever caught the pass does the ineligible downfield on pass penalty convert to illegal touching or is the opposing team givin the option?

The frequency of ineligibles downfield is largely related to the skill level of the players. When you do see an ineligible player downfield you want to consider where he is, what he's doing and how and why he may be there.

The first thing you want to be sure of, is that the pass is thrown and actually crosses the LOS. If a lineman has just wandered too far and is not affecting the play or actively blocking you may decide to simply mention something to him. If he is involving himself as a blocker, and he was down field BEFORE the pass was thrown, beyond the NZ, a penalty is likely in order.

Yes Illegal touching (formerly OPI) would be the second penalty he has commited. Illegal touching is a more severe penalty, adding Loss of down, to the 5 yd distance penalty for either foul, so it, alone, would be the infraction you report.

When you observe a player with an eligible # out flanked by another player with an eligible #, the inside player bears watching. As often as not, there's a good chance that the outside player lined up wrong, rendering the inside player INeligible, which the inside player may well not realize. (Make a mental note of the outside player's # as you may be asked for it).

If the inside player goes downfield for a pass, he's an ineligible downfield, and if he touches the ball it's Illegal touching. All the while he (and his coach) may have intended him to be eligible and only the action of his teammate took that status away from him, which neither player or coach may be totally unaware of.

Being prepared to inform the referee you have a foul against ineliible # XX, because he was covred by # YY can eliminate a lot of questioning.

If there is no forward pass, there's no foul and both offensive players are entitled to go downfield.