Enforcement puzzle

[jTheUmp]

Originally Posted by mbyron

Ohio's director of officiating development for football visited our association meeting last night and posed this question to the group:

A snaps the ball with 6 men on the line. During the run, A1 fumbles. B1 recovers the ball and starts running. During B1's run, B2 commits an illegal block in the back. Near the goal line, B1 fumbles the ball, which bounces into and then out of the back of the end zone.

What happens next?

I'll try this without reading any previous replies, or consulting rulebook/casebook... let's see how I do.

Stuff to care about, in order of appearance:
Illegal formation on A
Fumble by A
Possession gained by B
Foul by B (BIB)
Fumble by B
Ball becomes dead behind A's goal line.

1) If B accepts A's foul:
1a) If A accepts B's foul, the down will be replayed at the original LOS.
1b) If A declines B's foul, enforce the A's illegal formation penalty and replay the down.


2) If B declines A's foul:
2a) If A accepts B's foul, enforce 10 yards from the spot of the foul, 1st and 10 for B.
2b) If A declines B's foul, touchback for A.


So it'll probably end up being either 1a, 1b, or 2b, depending on where the original LOS was.