Progress Stopped, or Play On?

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by APG

I'm not sure, nor care what they do in rugby. And I'm not sure what you're trying to claim is the NFL rule nor how it relates to the tuck rule.

NFL:

Rule 3, Section 13, Article 1

(c) A forward handoff occurs when the ball is handed (regardless of the direction of the movement of the ball) to a player who is in advance of a teammate whose hands he takes or receives it.

D'oh! It was NCAA that in its interpretations used to reference the ball movement that NFL disclaimed. They also specified, "An exchange is legal during a run after team possession changes and the ball is exchanged by teammates while both players are facing each other at less than a 45-degree angle to a sideline. [cross-reference omitted]" They've eliminated both criteria since then.

My point was that rules writers can be more specific in providing for a determination like this regarding handing the ball off, and I see no reason they shouldn't be. In the current case for NCAA & Fed, all they'd need is a definition of the yard line where a player is positioned. However, for ease of administration, I think they could do better than that.