Cliping on Punt

[Smoke]

Okay High School game Team b is forced to punt so they punt as the punt is in the air Team a clips team b, Team b coach thinks they should be able to keep the ball on the penalty because there was no change of poss. What is correvt call for high school.

[Schmidt MJ]

Originally posted by Smoke
Okay High School game Team b is forced to punt so they punt as the punt is in the air Team a clips team b, Team b coach thinks they should be able to keep the ball on the penalty because there was no change of poss. What is correvt call for high school.

First of all, why is team B punting? They are supposed to be the defensive team. I'm going to assume you are calling team B the offensive team. The coach is at least partially right on this play. The kicking team has team possession during the kick. They do not lose team possession until the kick ends, which occurs when the receiving team gains possession or the ball becomes dead by rule. Since the clip occurred while the punt was in the air this is a foul during a loose ball play. It will be enforced from the previous spot which is the LOS. Step off 15 yards against the receiving team and if this leaves the kicking team beyond the line to gain then they have a 1st down.

[BktBallRef]

Smoke,

Schmidt is correct. If the penalty results in a first down, then the kicking team would keep the ball.

Just some advice. Always refer to teams based on who had possession at the snap in this manner:

Offensive team - Team A
Defensive team - Team B
Kicking team - Team K
Receiving team - Team R

It makes it a lot easier to discuss plays when everyone is using these designations.

TH

[stevesmith]

I'm guessing these interpretations are based on Federation rules. Under NCAA, wouldn't you have to determine where the clips occured in order to determine post scrimmage kick enforcement, or not? If the clips occured more than 3 yards from the LOS, then the receiving would keep the ball, 15 yards from the end of the kick. If the clips were less than three yards from LOS, then the kicking would retain possesion with enforcement from LOS.

[Smoke]

Thanks for the advice,on the terms, sounds like the coach was right on this call.

[Theisey]

Since we all know that coaches are rarely correct on penalty enforcement , just what was the actual enforcement made by the officials on this play?

[Smoke]

They just enforced it after the punt went dead wich went into the endzone so they just pushed it back half the distance to the goal line. First and ten on the 10 yrd line for receiving team.

[bluezebra]

Ruling doesn't make sense if they were going by FED book (a few states use NCAA book). It's a loose ball play, so enforcement would be the previos spot. Fifteen yard penalty against R from spot of snap. If K make line-to-gain, it's a first down. If not, it's 4th down and whatever. If K refuses penalty, it's R's ball, 1st and 10 on their 20 yard line. Officials goofed and should go back to reading the rule book.

Bob

[Theisey]

You're 100% correct Bob. While Smoke didn't say what code the game was being played under, I think we all assumed NFHS from his other postings.
I keep asking myself when I read about this kind of stuff, what are the other three or four officials thinking. Surely one of them had to question the enforcement and if so he has to speak up and get every official together to get it right.
If there is one thing about the NFHS enforcement on a loose ball play defined in rule 10, the enforcement spot is simple, it's the Previous Spot.. period. Fair is another story, but that's for another day and time.
Coach was right this time. Wonder why he didn't go the Coach/Ref route at that point.

[d_harper]

Theisey,

The previous spot is BASIC spot for loose ball plays. But, it is not always the ENFORCEMENT spot. Remember the "all but one" enforcement principal. If the offense fouls BEHIND the basic spot, then the enforcement spot is the spot of the foul.

[Theisey]

Opps! Absolutly. Can't believe I didn't proof read that... Previous spot is the Basic spot.