2014 Football Rules Changes
Tony Dutton
San Angelo Chapter
July, 2014
9-1-3 & 9-1-4
Targeting
• 9-1-3: No player shall target and initiate
make forcible contact against an opponent
with the crown (top) of his helmet.
• 9-1-4: No player shall target and initiate
make forcible contact to the head or neck
of a defenseless opponent with the
helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or
shoulder.
Emphasis
• Any forcible contact
• With the crown of the helmet or
• To the head or neck area of a defenseless
player should be called
• Whether it is the initial contact or not.
2-27-14-b
Defenseless Player
• A receiver attempting to catch a forward
pass or in position to receive
a backward
C
pass, or one who has completed a catch
and has not had time to protect himself or
has not clearly become a ball carrier.
The “Pitch Man”
• May be blocked legally
• May not be tackled or held (holding)
• May not be blocked below the waist (personal
foul)
• May not be targeted and hit with forcible
contact by the crown of an opponent’s helmet
(personal foul and disqualification)
• May not be targeted and hit with forcible
contact in the head or neck area (personal
foul and disqualification)
2-27-6
Airborne Player
• An airborne player is a player not in
contact with the ground because he leaps,
jumps, dives, launches, etc. in other than
normal running action.
2-27-15
Inbounds & Out of Bounds Player
a. Out of Bounds
1. A player is out of bounds when any part
of his body touches anything other than
another player or a game official on or
outside a boundary line.
2. An out of bounds player who becomes
airborne remains out of bounds until he
touches the ground without
simultaneously being out of bounds.
2-27-15
Inbounds & Out of Bounds Player
b. In Bounds
1. An inbounds player is a player who is not
out of bounds.
2. An inbounds player who becomes
airborne remains inbounds until he is out
of bounds.
Unanswered Question
• What is required for a player to establish
himself inbounds?
–
–
–
–
One foot?
One hand?
Two feet?
One knee?
• Latest, as long as the player gets a body part
touching ground inbounds, and no body part
touching out of bounds, he has established
himself inbounds.
B17
Play
Situation
Free kick from the 35. B17 leaps from
inbounds and is the first player to touch the
kick when he grasps the ball while airborne.
He then lands out of bounds with the ball
in his control.
RULING: B17 is inbounds when he touches
the kick. B will have the ball at the yard line
where B17 crosses the sideline. [NOTE:
This ruling reverses AR 6-2-2-IV.]
B33
Play
Situation
Free kick from the 35. When he touches
the kick, returner B33 has one foot touching
the sideline.
RULING: Team A foul, free kick out of
Bounds.
A88
Play
Situation
Receiver A88 is running near the sideline.
He steps out of bounds on his own, leaps
to receive a forward pass, grasps the ball while
airborne, and lands in bounds with the ball
in his possession.
RULING: Incomplete forward pass. By rule
A88 was still out of bounds when he touched
the pass, since he had no established inbounds,
so the ball is out of bounds when he touches it.
This is not a foul for illegal touching, since A88
did not touch the ball in the field of play.
A88
Play
Situation
Receiver A88 is running near the sideline.
He steps out of bounds on his own, returns,
establishes in bounds, leaps to receive
a forward pass, grasps the ball while airborne,
and lands in bounds with the ball in his
possession.
RULING: Foul for illegally touching a forward
pass in the field of play. A88 did not regain his
eligibility before touching the ball. Loss
of down at the previous spot.
A88
Play
Situation
B
Receiver A88 is running near the sideline.
He is blocked out of bounds by a defender.
From out of bounds he leaps to receive a
forward pass, grasps the ball while airborne,
and lands in bounds with the ball in his
possession.
RULING: Incomplete forward pass. By rule
A88 was still out of bounds when he touched
the pass, since he had no established inbounds,
so the ball is out of bounds when he touches it.
The fact that he was forced out of bounds has
no bearing on this ruling.
A88
Play
Situation
B
Receiver A88 is running near the sideline.
He is blocked out of bounds by a defender.
From out of bounds he returns, establishes
inbounds, leaps to receive a forward pass,
grasps the ball while airborne, and lands in
bounds with the ball in his possession.
RULING: Complete forward pass. A88 did
not lose his eligibility when he was blocked
out of bounds, and he had established in
bounds before touching the ball.
B22
Play
Situation
Defensive back B22 is near the sideline and
attempts to intercept a forward pass. He
Inadvertently steps on the sideline as he goes
airborne, grasps the ball, and returns to the
ground inbounds.
RULING: Incomplete pass. By definition B22
is out of bounds when he touches the ball
while airborne, making the ball out of bounds
when he touches it.
3-5-3-c
More than 11 players
• If officials do not detect the excessive
number of players until during the down or
after the down is over, or if Team B players
have entered the field just before the snap
but have not been in the formation, the
infraction is treated as a live ball foul.
Play Situation
• The ball has been made ready for play, and
Team A is in its formation and is at the line of
scrimmage. B22, a twelfth player, runs onto
the field and is at about the numbers when
the ball is snapped.
• RULING: Live-ball foul, substitution
infraction. Five-yard penalty, previous spot.
Because B22 was not in and had not been in
the formation when the ball was snapped,
this is a live-ball foul, and the officials should
not shut down the play.
7-3-12
Forward Pass Play Penalties
• Penalties for personal fouls by Team B
during a completed legal forward pass
play are enforced at the end of the last run
when it ends beyond the neutral zone. If
the pass is incomplete or intercepted, or if
there is a change of possession during the
down, the penalty is enforced at the
previous spot (Rule 9-1 Penalty)
9-1 Personal Fouls
Penalty Statement
• [Page FR-86, Add the following:]
• For Team B personal fouls during a legal
forward pass play (7-3-12):
• Enforcement is at the end of the last run when
it ends beyond the neutral zone and there is
no change of possession during the down.
• Enforcement is at the previous spot for
personal fouls during all other pass plays.
Penalty Summarized
• Pass completed, last
run ends beyond the
neutral zone, and no
change of possession
• All other Team B
personal fouls during
a legal forward pass
play
• Enforce from the end
of the last run
• Enforce from the
previous spot
X Pass is complete to A88
who is tackled.
A88
QB throws a pass toward A88.
QB
A76
Play
Situation
B63
While the ball is in the air, defensive
tackle B63 pulls A76 by the facemask.
RULING: Penalize Team B 15 yards
from the end of the run.
Compare 2013.
What if the pass is incomplete?
What if A88 fumbles and B recovers?
What if A88 scores?
9-1-9
Roughing the Passer
• New paragraph 9-1-9-b.
• When an offensive player is in a passing
posture with one or both feet on the
ground, no defensive player rushing
unabated shall hit him forcibly at the knee
area or below. The defensive player also
may not initiate a roll or lunge and forcibly
hit this opponent in the knee area or
below.
Key Elements
•
•
•
•
•
Player in a passing posture
One or both feet on the ground
Defensive player rushing unabated
Hit forcibly
Knee area or below
Three Exceptions
It is not a foul:
1. If the offensive player is a runner not in a
passing posture,
2. If the defender grabs or wraps this opponent
in an attempt to make a conventional tackle,
3. If the defender is not rushing unabated or is
blocked or fouled into this opponent.
• Note: The player does not have to actually
pass the ball to get this added protection.
Play
Situation
QB A11 drops back in the pocket and sets up to pass.
He then scrambles to his right and is on the run when
he releases the pass to A44 who is tackled at the 40.
Just as A11 releases the ball he is hit by end B88 who
drives his shoulder into A11’s knee.
RULING: No foul by B88 since A11 was not
in a passing posture when B88 hits him, and
because of the timing this is not a “traditional”
roughing-the-passer foul. Whether A11 is
inside or outside the tackle box when he
releases the ball is irrelevant for this rule.
A11
B88
X
A44
Play
Situation
QB A11 drops back in the pocket and sets up to pass.
He then scrambles to his right sets up again and
is in a passing posture when he releases the pass
to A44. Just as A11 releases the ball he is hit by end
B88 who drives his shoulder into A11’s knee.
The pass is intercepted and retuned to the A-40.
A11
B88
RULING: Foul by B88 for forcibly hitting the
passer at the knee or below. Automatic first
down and 15-yard penalty from the previous
spot. This is a foul even though A11 had
scrambled, because the had reestablished in
the passing posture when B88 hit him.
X
A44
Play
Situation
QB A11 drops back in the pocket and sets up to pass.
End B88 tries to get around tackle A77 who blocks him
into A11 just as he releases the ball. A11 is in a passing
posture when B88 makes contact with his shoulder at
A11’s shin. In the referee’s judgment this contact is
caused by A77’s block.
RULING: No foul by B88. The contact was
due to his being blocked into A11.
A11
A77
B88
Play
Situation
A11
A77
QB A11 drops back in the pocket and sets up to pass.
Tackle A77 moves into pass protection and blocks B88
to the ground. From his prone position B88 lunges
and forcibly contacts A11 just as he releases a pass
from a passing posture. B88’s contact against A11 is
at the lower part of his leg.
RULING: Foul by B88. The second act of
lunging leads to the illegal contact. Depending
on the result of the play, the penalty is enforced
at the previous spot or the end of
the last run by Team A.
B88
Play
Situation
A11
A77
QB A11 drops back in the pocket and sets up to pass.
Tackle A77 moves into pass protection and blocks B88
slowing his path to A11. B88 then surges again and
forcibly hits A11 just as he releases a pass from a
passing posture. B88’s contact against A11is at the
lower part of his leg.
RULING: If the referee judges that the block
on B88 did not diminish the power of his
contact against A11, then this is a foul under
9-1-9-b. Note that “unabated” does not mean
that B88 has a clear path all the way to A11;
instead it means that his action is not
B88
diminished in force.
Play
Situation
A11
A77
QB A11 drops back in the pocket and sets up to pass.
Tackle A77 moves into pass protection and blocks B88
slowing his path to A11. Trying to play off the block,
B88 continues on to rush A11, and contacts him with
His shoulder at the lower part of his leg just as A11
releases a pass from a passing posture. The referee
judges that the contact by B88 is not forcible and that
its potential force was diminished by A77’s block.
RULING: No foul. B88 was not unabated
in his rush to the quarterback.
B88
Play
Situation
A11
QB A11 drops back in the pocket and sets up to pass.
He then scrambles to his right sets up again and
is in a passing posture when he is hit by end B88 who
drives his shoulder into A11’s knee. A11 then pulls
the ball in and goes to the ground because of being
tackled by B88.
RULING: Foul by B88. While A11 is technically
not a passer because he did not release the
ball, the action by B88 is a foul under 9-1-9-b
because of the vulnerability of A11 as a
potential passer in a passing posture.
B88
Play
Situation
QB A11 drops back in the pocket and sets up to pass.
He then scrambles to his right sets up again and
is in a passing posture when he is hit by end B88 who
grabs A11 around the shin and ankles. A11 then pulls
the ball in and goes to the ground because of being
tackled by B88.
RULING: No foul. This is not forcible contact.
A11
B88
40-Second & 25-Second
Play Clocks for UIL Games
• “(Note: Visual play clocks are not mandatory,
but if visual play clocks are available and
operated, they must be capable of counting
down from both 40 seconds and 25
seconds).” 2014 UIL Exceptions to NCAA
Football Rules, EXCEPTION:2-29-2
• 40 & 25 second play clocks will be used for
all UIL games, 7th grade up. Charles
Breithaupt
25-Second Play Clock
• Referee’s Signal:
One open palm in an
over-the-head
pumping motion
25-Second Play Clock
When Game Clock Stopped For
1.
2.
3.
4.
Penalty administration
Charged team timeout
Media timeout
Injury timeout for
offensive player (40
seconds for defensive)
5. Measurement
6. Team B first down
7. After a kick down
8. Score
9. Start of each period
10. Start of team
possession in extra
period
11. Other administrative
stoppage
12. Offensive player helmet
off through play (40
seconds for defensive)
40-Second Play Clock
• Referee’s Signal: Both palms open in an
over-the-head pumping motion
• The 40-second clock will be used for all
other game situations when the 25-second
clock is not required
• The 40-second play clock will begin
approximately one-second after an official
signals the ball dead
3-2-4-b-2
• If the 40-second clock does not start or is
interrupted for reasons beyond the control
of the officials or play-clock operator, the
referee shall:
 Stop the game clock, and
 Signal that the play clock be reset at 40seconds, and
 The play clock is started immediately
3-2-4-b-3
• If the 40-second clock is running and the
ball is not ready to snap after 20 seconds
into the count, the referee shall:
 Declare a timeout
 Signal that the play clock be reset at 25seconds, and
 Give the ready for play or the start the
clock signal, either beginning the 25second count
Note
• By rule, the Referee shall stop the game
clock to reset the play clock to 25 or 40
seconds
• In most cases, however, the Referee will
only give the over-the-head pumping
motion and not stop the game clock
• In cases where time is critical, the Referee
will stop the game clock in accordance
with the rule and reset if necessary
When Ball is Ready for Play
(Rule 2-2-4)
• A dead ball is ready for play when:
• Two possibilities:
1. The play clock is set at 25 (or 40)
seconds, and the referee sounds his
whistle and signals start the clock or
signals the ball is ready for play
2. The 40-second play clock is running
40-Second Play Clock Running
• The ball is ready for play when:
1. An official places the ball at a hash mark
or between the inbounds marks, and
2. Steps away to his position
Goal for Officials
• Have the ball ready for play within 8 to 12
seconds
• 8 seconds (or fewer) for short gains inside
the hash marks
• 12 seconds (or slightly longer) for long
gains outside the numbers
• Keys to success: ball persons and chain
crew
• The UIL has recommendations
UIL Recommendations
• Game balls – Ideal Situation
• Two game balls for each team on each sideline
• One ball person from each team on each sideline
and one ball retriever on each sideline
• Ball persons should be at least 7th graders or above;
ball retrievers may be younger
• Chain Crew
• Must be ready to hustle (and sometimes run), most
importantly, the down box person
• Complete UIL guidelines at
www.uiltexas.org>Athletics>Football>Rules &
Guidelines
And That’s All.
Comments, Questions?