Loose ball play

[tomes1978]

I'm a new official and have a question about penalty enforcement. At what point does a loose ball play turn into a running play? Is it when the ball crosses the LOS? From what I understand you can only have one loose ball play per down and multiple running plays.

A couple of scenerios:
1) 1st and 10 from the B2. Handoff to A1, he then fumbles at the B5. A2 picks up the ball and gets facemasked as he is tackled at the B5.

2) Same situation but A1 is facemasked at the B5 and then fumbles. A2 recovers ball at the A5.

Is the enforcement spot the B2 in both scenerios or only the 2nd one?

[ppaltice]

Loose-ball plays are discussed in 10-3. You may have to wait until the end of the down to determine if a foul occurred during a loose-ball play.

In 1: All of the action that occurs before A2 picks up the ball is action during a loose-ball play. All of the action from the time A2 picks up the ball until the down is ended is part of A2's run and is a running play. Since the foul by B5 occurs after A2 gains possession, it is part of a running play and the enforcement spot is the end of the run.

In 2: Since the facemask occurs prior to A2 picking up the ball, the foul is during a loose-ball play. The enforcement spot is the previous spot.

[tomes1978]

That makes sense to me. Is it not true that you can only have one loose ball play per down. Lets say that same situation with a shotgun formation that is an errant snap. A1 then picks up the ball runs to the B5 is facemasked and then fumbled. You have two loose balls, would there also be two loose ball plays, since they both happened behind the LOS?

Or would that just be one loose ball play with everything leading up to the last fumble behind the LOS being a part of it?

.... I think I may have just given myself the answer lol

[ppaltice]

Originally Posted by tomes1978

Or would that just be one loose ball play with everything leading up to the last fumble behind the LOS being a part of it?

.... I think I may have just given myself the answer lol

You did. 10-3-1 has a NOTE that includes all actions that precede the final loose ball behind the NZ.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by tomes1978

I'm a new official and have a question about penalty enforcement. At what point does a loose ball play turn into a running play? Is it when the ball crosses the LOS? From what I understand you can only have one loose ball play per down and multiple running plays.

A couple of scenerios:
1) 1st and 10 from the B2. Handoff to A1, he then fumbles at the B5. A2 picks up the ball and gets facemasked as he is tackled at the B5.

2) Same situation but A1 is facemasked at the B5 and then fumbles. A2 recovers ball at the A5.

Is the enforcement spot the B2 in both scenerios or only the 2nd one?

CANADIAN RULING:

1. Apply the facemask from PLS, since it is ahead of PBD. 15 yards + AFD gives Team A 1D/G @ B-1.
   
2. Same ruling.