When to move the chains

[stegenref]

I was working a 7th grade game the other night and we had a situation where we had a dead ball personal foul, after the play was over and where team A had just gotten a first down. This has always confused me, so I'm hoping someone on here can explain it to me to where I can understand it...

Since A had gotten a first down before the dead-ball personal foul, they're entitled to the first down. But what confuses me is, do you set the chains first and then apply the 15-yard personal foul (but leave the chains) to make it first down and 25 yards to go, or do you move the chains back 15 yards as a part of the 15 yard penalty and just make it 1st down and 10, from a spot 15 yards behind the end of the run.

Please reference page numbers in rules book or mechanics manual...

[goldsmi]

It would be 1st and 25 only if the foul occurred after the RFP.

2-26
ART. 5 . . . The line to gain is the yard line established when a new series (first
down) is awarded. Unless there is a penalty following the ready-for-play signal,
the line to gain is 10 yards in advance of the foremost point of the ball when
placed for the first down of the series. If the line to gain extends into the end zone, the goal line is the line to gain.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by goldsmi

It would be 1st and 25 only if the foul occurred after the RFP.

To the OP: If you're looking for an easy way to remember it, this is that way.

Of course, you can end up with 1/25 after a live-ball foul during 1st down. But the only way to start a series 1/25 is this one.

A gets a new series because they passed the line to gain during the down and no live-ball penalty negated that advance. The new series will begin 15 yards upfield because of the DB foul. Now set the chains and resume.