Double Foul

[SC Ump]

NFHS: 3rd and 10 on A's 20. A has only six men on the line at the snap. The runner breaks away and is headed for an apparent touchdown. As the runner is well down field, an A blocker takes a cheap shot at a B player completely out of the play.

Should you (a) offset the illegal formation and personal fouls to replay the down or (b) enforce both resulting in 1st and 10 at A's 30?

[golfdesigner]

Here's my run at your play.
I think you are describing two fouls on the same team (A) the offense. This isn't a double foul, it's a multiple foul. You have illegal formation (IF) on A, and you have either a personal foul (PF) on A or an unsportsmanlike conduct (USC) on A.
If it's an IF and PF B will have choice of which of the two fouls to accept. Depending on where the personal foul occurs, B may elect to enforce the illegal formation and penalize 5-yds from the previous spot (PS) and replay the down.
If what you saw on the A blocker clocking B, was a USC, then that's a live ball foul treated as a dead ball foul, and B could accept the IF move the ball back 5-yds from previous spot (PS) then tack on an additional 15-yds for the USC, you will still replay the down, since the IF got the replay of the down.
This could be a big double whammy on A, mostly for being stupid.

[Welpe]

A taking a cheapshot at B will never be USC, it is always a personal foul.

You have multiple live ball fouls by one team during the play and only one can be enforced.

B has the option of taking the illegal formation penalty from the previous spot or taking the PF enforced under all but one.

I'd post rule references but I'm posting this from my Blackberry waiting for the 4th of July parade to start.

Happy 4th everyone!

[Texas Aggie]

Hmm. This is an interesting play. We (using NCAA rules) usually put as many cheap shot, behind the play, personal fouls in the dead ball category on scoring runs -- or even just long plays -- as possible. I said scoring runs since they usually happen on those sorts of plays. Anyway, often the contact is technically while the ball is still alive but if its 20 yards downfield (from the back), its a dead ball foul and will be enforced as such. I or my crew called this maybe half a dozen times last year and didn't hear anything from the coaches on it, as the hit was clearly indefensible and they were probably *****ing out their player.

On this play, we have to bring the TD or long run back and it is going to be a fact specific decision as to whether to offset or enforce both. How bad was the hit? Where in relation to the play was it? What down was it? I know some will have a problem with this and if you do, then there is nothing wrong with you offsetting the penalties. Where I work, in both HS and college, we'd take a little more detailed look into the play.

[jaybird]

Welpe got it. A, 3/15 @ A15.

[Forksref]

Only non-contact fouls are USC.

You didn't give a yardline for the cheap shot "way downfield" but it would appear that the best option for B is the IF foul, 5 yds from the previous spot and replay.

[Ed Hickland]

Originally Posted by Texas Aggie

Hmm. This is an interesting play. We (using NCAA rules) usually put as many cheap shot, behind the play, personal fouls in the dead ball category on scoring runs -- or even just long plays -- as possible. I said scoring runs since they usually happen on those sorts of plays. Anyway, often the contact is technically while the ball is still alive but if its 20 yards downfield (from the back), its a dead ball foul and will be enforced as such. I or my crew called this maybe half a dozen times last year and didn't hear anything from the coaches on it, as the hit was clearly indefensible and they were probably *****ing out their player.

On this play, we have to bring the TD or long run back and it is going to be a fact specific decision as to whether to offset or enforce both. How bad was the hit? Where in relation to the play was it? What down was it? I know some will have a problem with this and if you do, then there is nothing wrong with you offsetting the penalties. Where I work, in both HS and college, we'd take a little more detailed look into the play.

That is an interesting penalty enforcement by making the contact foul a dead ball foul it changes the whole dynamic versus enforcing the fouls as written, that is, two live ball fouls. As written, B has a choice of fouls; per the alternate B can get the effect of both fouls.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by Ed Hickland

That is an interesting penalty enforcement by making the contact foul a dead ball foul it changes the whole dynamic versus enforcing the fouls as written, that is, two live ball fouls. As written, B has a choice of fouls; per the alternate B can get the effect of both fouls.

This is one of the reasons I favor a finding that the cheap shot occurred after the ball was dead rather than before. Sometimes it favors the offense, sometimes the defense, but I think it's always more equitable that way.

Robert

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by SC Ump

NFHS: 3rd and 10 on A's 20. A has only six men on the line at the snap. The runner breaks away and is headed for an apparent touchdown. As the runner is well down field, an A blocker takes a cheap shot at a B player completely out of the play.

Should you (a) offset the illegal formation and personal fouls to replay the down or (b) enforce both resulting in 1st and 10 at A's 30?

What if he meant a PF by B away from the play, for a true double foul? Offset and replay.

[SC Ump]

Originally Posted by mbyron

What if he meant a PF by B away from the play, for a true double foul? Offset and replay.

You are exactly right. I was typing the play quickly because my wife was rushing me to our July 4th party... that's my story and I'm sticking with it.

What are your thoughts if we adjust the original play to be what I originally was thinking:

NFHS: 3rd and 10 on A's 20. A has only six men on the line at the snap. The runner breaks away and is headed for an apparent touchdown. As the runner is well down field, a B lineman takes a cheap shot (hard blind sided block) at an A player completely out of the play.

Offsetting fouls or enforce both.

(I will post another thread with a Redding play that was the genesis for this question.)

[ajmc]

NF: 10-2-1, "It is a double foul if both teams commit fouls, other than unsportsmanlike or nonplayer, during the same live-ball period ( and then goes on to explain several issue that don'y apply to this situation)".

A's foul for Illegal formation is simultaneous with the snap, and B's unnecessary hit is a Personal foul, both live ball fouls. Penalties offset, replay the down.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by SC Ump

3rd and 10 on A's 20. A has only six men on the line at the snap. The runner breaks away and is headed for an apparent touchdown. As the runner is well down field, an A blocker takes a cheap shot at a B player completely out of the play.

Should you (a) offset the illegal formation and personal fouls to replay the down or (b) enforce both resulting in 1st and 10 at A's 30?

CANADIAN RULING:

Fouls:

1. Illegal formation foul applied at the PLS.
2. (a) A hits B = Flag for UR, applied at spot of first foul or (b) B hits A = Flag for UR, applied at spot of first foul.

Result (new for 2009): (a) Team A 3D/29 @ A-1 (b) Team A 1D/10 @ A-30.