Penalties & Enforcement
Philosophical Approach
Enforcement Principals
Enforcement Situations
Penalty Flag Trivia
Flag first used in a college
game in 1941. Whistles or
horns were used until then.
The flag was red/white striped.
Flag officially adopted in 1948.
Red colored in HS and college
until early 70’s.
NFL used white until 1965.
CFL uses orange.
Orlando Brown settled for a
reported $25m after being hit
in the eye with a flag from NFL
Referee Jim Triplette in 1999.
Philosophical Approach
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The “Quality” of your call or no-call can significantly affect the course of a
game.
Remember the purpose of the game – to legally advance the ball.
As an official, your job is to judge the execution & if necessary, the intent of a
player. If an illegal act occurs, you must then process the following three
things:
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Does the infraction affect the play?
Does it concern player safety or sportsmanship?
Did his team gain an advantage during the course of the play due to that illegal
action?
“Ball position on the field” or “time on the clock” has no bearing on these
three actions because consistency is the objective for officials.
Don’t be too technical, avoid “nitpick” or “gotcha” calls, make it be there,
especially major fouls!
Phantom calls are truly game interrupters, see the entire play or keep the
flag in your pocket.
If the action falls into a gray area of “foul or no foul”, then it should be
considered “no foul” unless safety or sportsmanship is a factor.
Use HUDL video to assist you in recognizing “warning signs” and improving
your decision making abilities.
NFHS Enforcement Principals
• All-But-One: Enforcement is based on the fact that a team is given
the advantage of the distance which is gained without assistance of a
foul. It is assumed that the only foul which would give this aid would be
a foul by the offense behind the basic spot. Therefore, “all fouls but
this one”, that is a foul by the offense behind the basic spot, are
penalized from the basic spot. This one foul is penalized from the spot
of the foul.
• Exceptions to Live Ball – “All But One” fouls:
– Fouls which occur simultaneous with the snap.
– Foul by the opponent of the scoring team during a successful try, field goal,
or touchdown. (Penalty is assessed from the succeeding spot if the score
and penalty are accepted.)
– Non-player or unsportsmanlike fouls.
– Roughing the passer when the dead ball spot is beyond the NZ and there
has been no change of possession.
– Kick catching interference when the offended team accepts a penalty of 15
yards from the spot of the foul.
Principals
• Play Spots & Types:
– Basic spot for a loose ball play is the previous spot.
• “Loose Ball Play” is action during:
– Free Kick or Scrimmage Kick.
– Legal Forward Pass.
– Backward Pass (including snap), illegal kick or fumble made by A from in or
behind the NZ prior to a change of possession.
Note: (Includes run(s) which precede such legal or illegal kick, legal forward
pass, backward pass or fumble.)
– Basic spot for a running play is the end of the run.
• “Running Play” is any action which is not a loose ball play.
– In or behind the NZ in either of the following:
» Includes a run not followed by a loose ball.
» A run followed by an illegal forward pass.
– Beyond the NZ:
» Includes a run.
» A run followed by a loose ball, including an illegal forward pass or kick.
A run ends when a runner loses possession, but the related running
play continues until the ball becomes dead or some player again gets
possession.
Special Enforcement Rules
• Free Kick Out of Bounds
• Inbounds spot through yard line where ball went O.B.
• Inbounds spot 25 yards from the previous spot.
• 5 yard penalty and re-kick by K.
• Kick-Catching Interference
• *Awarded fair catch following a 15 yard penalty from the spot of the foul, or;
• 15 yard penalty from previous spot & re-play down.
• Unfair Acts
• Referee imposes penalty that he considers equitable if not covered by rule.
• Fouls During Scoring Plays
– Fouls by the opponents of the scoring team;
• During Touchdown with no change of possession, or foul after change of
possession.
– Accept results of play and have penalty enforced from succeeding spot or subsequent kick-off.
• During a Successful Try.
– Accept results of play and have penalty enforced from succeeding spot.
• During a Successful Field Goal.
– Accept results of play and have penalty enforced from succeeding spot.
Special Enforcement Rules
• After a Touchdown and before the initial ready for play signal for
the try.
– If either team commits any foul for which the basic spot is the succeeding spot, the
offended team can have the penalty enforced from the succeeding spot or the
subsequent kickoff.
• First Touching by R is ignored
– If R commits a foul after the touching and the penalty is accepted.
– A penalty for any foul is accepted.
• Roughing the kicker (holder) / running into the kicker (holder) –
– Roughing – contact that endangers the safety of the kicker or holder.
(15 yds.)
– Running into – contact where the kicker or holder is displaced from his
position but not roughed. (5 yds.)
– Contact is ignored when:
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It is not reasonably certain that the kick will be made.
The kick is touched.
A defender is blocked into the kicker or holder by a member of the kicking team.
Special Enforcement Rules
• Roughing the passer – Enforcement is added from the dead ball spot
beyond the neutral zone when there is no change of team possession.
(15 yds.)
• Roughing the snapper – Defensive player must charge directly into
the snapper when the offense is in kicking formation. (15 yds.)
• When a run ends in the end zone after a change of possession, the
basic spot is determined based on the force that put the ball in the end
zone.
– 20 Yard Line – Fouls by either team when the opponent of the team in
possession at the time of the foul is responsible for forcing the ball across
the goal line of the team in possession, and the run ends in the end zone
and is followed by a loose ball, regardless of where the loose ball becomes
dead. (10-4-6)
– Goal Line – Fouls which are committed during running plays by the
opponent of the team in possession at the time of the foul when the team in
possession is responsible for forcing the ball across its own goal line, and
the related run ends in the end zone and is followed by a loose ball,
regardless of where the loose ball becomes dead. (10-4-7)
All-But-One Enforcement
Defensive Penalties are Not Part of the All-But-One Principal!!!
Offensive Live-Ball Foul
Beyond
Basic
Spot
Penalty Marked
off from the
Offensive Live-Ball Foul
basic spot
Defensive Live-Ball Foul
Behind
Penalty Marked
off from the
spot of the foul
All-But-One Enforcement
Running Play
Basic
Spot
Offensive Live-Ball Foul Behind
Penalty Marked
off from the
spot of the foul
Spot of
Snap
Play (run)
whistled dead
All-But-One Enforcement
Loose Ball Play (Pass)
Pass caught &
player tackled
immediately.
Offensive Live-Ball Foul
Beyond
Penalty Marked
off from the
Behind
basic spot
Spot of
Basic
Spot
Snap
Offensive Live-Ball Foul
Penalty Marked
off from the
spot of the foul
All-But-One Enforcement
Running Play
(Which Includes a Loose Ball – Fumble)
Offensive Live-Ball Foul
Beyond
Play whistled dead
Basic
Spot
Penalty Marked
off from the
Penalty MarkedSpot of
basic spot
off from the
Snap
spot of the foul
Behind
Offensive Live-Ball Foul
All-But-One Enforcement
End Zone Enforcement
Running play whistled dead
Spot of
Snap
Offensive Live-Ball Foul
Behind Goal Line
Basic
Spot
SAFETY
All-But-One Enforcement
Touchback Enforcement
Basic
Spot
Penalty marked off from
the spot of the foul
Spot of Snap
Defensive Live-Ball Foul After Interception
Play Whistled Dead
Behind Goal Line -
Touchback
Defensive Interception
All-But-One Enforcement
Double Foul Enforcement / Change of Possession
Offensive Live-Ball Foul
Before Interception
Defensive Live-Ball Foul
After Interception
Spot of Snap
Play WhistledBasic
Dead
Spot
Penalty on defense is marked off
from the basic spot, half the distance.
Defense must decline the penalty in order to
keep the ball since they obtained it with
“clean hands”.
Defensive Interception
Dead Ball Enforcement
Situation: 2nd down & 5 from B-30
Play whistled dead
at B-23
Offensive Dead-Ball Foul
Penalty Marked off from
Spot of
the succeeding spot
Snap
First down was achieved by A.
First & 10 from B-38
Dead Ball Enforcement
Situation: 4nd down & 4 from B-35
First down was not achieved by A.
B’s ball, 1st & 10 from B-22
Spot of
Penalty Marked
Snapoff from
the succeeding spot
Defensive Dead-Ball Foul
Play whistled
dead at B-37
Live / Dead Ball Enforcement
Situation: 2nd down & Goal from B-15
Defensive unsportsmanlike foul in end zone
Offensive holding foul at 3 yard line
Touchdown
Live ball penalty marked off
under “all but one”, back to
13 yard line.
Remains A ball, 2nd down &
Goal from the 6-1/2 yard
line.
Dead ball penalty marked
Spot ofoff
from the succeedingSnap
spot, half
the distance to 6-1/2 yard line.
Remember: Live ball penalties are administered first, then all dead ball
penalties in the order of occurrence! Live Ball / Dead ball penalties do not
offset!
Enforcement During a Score
Situation: 2nd down & Goal from B-15
Touchdown
Live ball penalty marked off
on the try half the distance,
or the succeeding kick-off.
Defensive foul during run
Kick-off from R’s 45 yard line if
succeeding spot option is taken..
Spot of
Snap
PSK Enforcement
Kick Ends Here
Penalty marked off from
basic spot - end of kick
Receivers Live-Ball
Foul During Kick
Penalty marked off
from basic spot end of run
Return
Ends Here
Receivers Live-Ball
Foul After Kick
Ends
Spot of Snap
Expanded Neutral Zone
Penalty marked off from
basic spot – previous spot
Receivers Live-Ball
Foul During Kick
Scrimmage Kick Enforcement
Kick Ends Here
Kick Catch
Interference
Penalty marked off
from the spot of the
foul, or
Return
Ends Here
Spot of Snap
Penalty marked off from
basic spot – previous spot
Scrimmage Kick Enforcement
Kick Ends Here
Kick Catch
Interference
The penalty cannot be carried over since the
foul occurred before the change of possession
(during the loose ball play).
Spot of Snap
Return
Ends as
Touchdown
Scrimmage Kick Enforcement
B-9 retreats to his own end zone where he is
tackled there. Momentum is not a factor.
What are our options/decisions?
Accept the results of play; Safety B free kick from B20
Ball then rolls untouched to the
11 and is then “illegally kicked”
forward by A-78.
B-9 picks
ball up at 2
Accept first touching by A –
Spot of Snap First down for B at B11
Expanded Neutral Zone
Situation – 4th & 4 from B-15;
Scrimmage Kick Formation
Accept 15 yard penalty –
Replay 4th. down from B30
FG attempt partially blocked by B-99
Good luck to you all!