RULE 9, Player and Others Conduct
Helping the Runner
1. 1. What is the penalty for helping the runner? Where will you see this play?
Illegal use of Hands & Holding
A. Offensive
2. What are the blocking techniques an offensive player may use?
3. What is interlocked blocking and is it legal? What's the penalty?
4. How may an offensive player hold?
B. Defensive
5. Where must a defensive player's hands be to be in a legal position to make contact with
his arms?
6. How may a defensive player hold? (Do we really want to make this call?)
7. May a defensive player contact a receiver who is no longer a potential blocker?
Illegal Blocking
8. What is the definition of "Blocking"?
9. Why is kick catching interference an illegal block?
10. Why is pass interference an illegal block?
11. What are other illegal blocks (HINT: there are 5)
12. When may a player who has given an illegal or legal fir catch signal legally block?
13. When may a kicker or place-kick holder be blocked?
14. When may a player legally clip?
15. When may a player legally block below the waist?
16. What is a '4chop" block? 1O. Who may be legally tripped?
RULE 9, Player and Others Conduct
Illegal Personal Contact
17. What is the definition of "fighting"? Must there be contact from a "swing" for fighting?
18. What is "unnecessary roughness"? Think of specific examples.
19. Piling on the runner is a live ball or dead ball foul?
20. Is grabbing the edge of the ear hole of a helmet a "face mask" penalty? Is grabbing the
edge of the face mask area a '4face mask" penalty? Is grabbing the back edge of the
helmet a “face mask" penalty? What distinguishes the two face mask fouls and what are
the distance penalties for each?
21. What is butt blocking"? What is face tackling? What is spearing!
22. What constitutes a "horse collar" tackle?
23. When can roughing the passer take place? What is the definition of a passer (HINT: rule
2)? Where is the enforcement spot for the penalty of roughing the passer?
24. What four conditions allow contact with the kicker?
25. In what formation is the snapper protected? When is the snapper no longer protected?
26. May a defensive player slap the helmet of an offensive player to avoid his block? What is
the penalty?
Noncontact Unsportsmanlike Conduct by Players
27. What distinguishes an unsportsmanlike foul from a personal foul? What are some specific
examples of unsportsmanlike behavior?
28. What is the penalty for the first occurrence of an unsportsmanlike foul? F or the second
occurrence?
Illegal Participation
29. May an A or K player go out of bounds and return to participate in the play? What if A or
K is blocked out of bounds and immediately returns to the field of play? Where is the
spot of the foul?
30. Is it illegal participation to have 12 players on the field at the snap? Why should this call
be avoided? What penalty for 12 men on the field do we prefer to call? Why? Live ball or
Dead ball foul?
31. When may an injured player play the next down and not be called for illegal
RULE 9, Player and Others Conduct
participation?
Illegal Kicking and Batting
32. Other than on a free kick or scrimmage kick, may a player kick the ball?
33. When may a player legally bat a ball?
34. May a fumble, pass, or low scrimmage kick be legally batted while the loose ball is in
flight?
35. May a backward pass be batted forward by an eligible receiver?
36. May a ball be batted forward by any member of the team in possession?
Noncontact Unsportsmanlike Conduct by Nonplayers
37. What is an authorized conference? (HINT: rule 2)? What is the penalty for an
unauthorized conference?
38. What is the penalty if a team is not ready to start the game or a half?
39. After the coach has confirmed that his players are properly equipped, what is the penalty
if you discover a player not properly equipped?
Unfair Acts
40. May a player hide the ball under his jersey? What is the spot of enforcement for this foul?