2012 Rule Changes[See: www.uiltexas.org]

Tony DuttonSan Angelo Football Officials

Kickoff(Free Kick)

• Restraining line

• Touchback

• Formation

• Opportunity to Catch

Restraining Line

• NCAA: 35 yard line

• UIL: 40 yard line (no change)

• 6-Man: 30 yard line (no change)

Next Spot After Touchback

• Touchback after Free Kick (Kickoff)

• Any other touchback (punt into the end zone, intercepted pass in the end zone, missed field goal, etc.)

• 6-Man

• New: 25 yard line.

• 20 yard line.

• 20 yard line (no change)

New: Free Kick Formation (6-1-2-b)

• “After the ball has been made ready for play, all players on the kicking team except the kicker must be no more than five yards behind their restraining line.”

• “A player satisfies this rule when one foot is on or beyond the line five yards behind the restraining line. If one player is more than five yards behind the restraining line and any other player kicks the ball it is a foul.”

50 45 40 35

After the ready & before the kick, 21 shifts, moving behind the 35 yd. line .

K

21

Live-ball foul

50 45 40 35

As the kicker advances, number 21 kicks the ball.

K

21

Live-ball foul

50 45 40 35

A33 & A66 in a 4-point stance. Hands on 36, feet on 34.

K

33

Live-ball foul.Neither has at leastone foot on the 35.

66

New: Opportunity to Catch

• “During a free kick a player of the receiving team in position to receive the ball has the same kick catch and fair-catch protection whether the ball is kicked directly off the tee or is immediately driven to the ground, strikes the ground once and goes into the air in the manner of the ball kicked directly off the tee.” (6-4-1-e)

Key Points: The Rule

• Applies only during a free kick and not during a punt or field goal attempt.

• Applies only to a receiving team player in position to catch the kick.

New: Grants protection whether:

1.The ball is kicked directly into the air, or is

2.Driven immediately to the ground, strikes the ground once and goes into the air.

Opportunity to Catch a Kick:A New “Halo” (6-4-1-a)

• “It is an interference foul if, before the receiver touches the ball, a Team B player enters the area defined by the width of the receiver’s shoulders and extending one yard in front of him. When in question it is a foul.”

• [But note no change in (6-4-1): the receiver “must be given an unimpeded opportunity to catch the kick.”]

New Article: (3-3-9-a)Helmet Comes Off

• “If during the down a player’s helmet comes completely off, other than as the direct result of a foul by an opponent, the player must leave the game for the next down. The game clock will stop at the end of the down.”

• Change to: “through play”

• [Also change 3-2-4-c and 3-3-2-e to “through play.”]

CFO Bulletin Play # 5

• After the ball is dead, A55, blocks B33 at his waist, knocking him to the ground. As B33 hits the ground his helmet comes off.

• RULING: Dead-ball foul by A55, 15-yard penalty from succeeding spot. B55 must leave the game for the next down as his helmet came off through play and not due to a helmet foul.

TASO Clarification: Two Plays

• Play 1: Defensive player roughs the passer by hitting him in the chest with the crown of his helmet. The QB stumbles and falls backward. When his head hits the ground, his helmet comes off.

• Ruling: Defense is penalized for roughing the passer, but the foul was not the direct cause of the helmet coming off. QB must leave the game for a play.

Play 2

• Defensive player roughs the passer by hitting him late and driving him to the ground. When his head hits the ground, his helmet comes off.

• Ruling: The defense is penalized for roughing the passer. The passer’s helmet came off as a direct result of the foul, and the QB does not have to leave the game.

New Article: 3-3-9-c Continued Participation

• If the ball carrier’s helmet comes off as in paragraph a (above) the ball is dead (Rule 4-1-3-q).

• If the player is not the ball carrier the ball remains alive, but he must not continue to participate in the play beyond the immediate action in which he is engaged. Prolonged participation is a personal foul (Rule 9-1-17).

• By definition such a player is obviously out of the play (Rule 9-1-12-b).

Key Points

• Ball remains alive, unless ball carrier’s helmet comes off.

• Non-ball carrier may continue immediate action in which he is engaged.

• Continuing participation beyond immediate action is a personal foul.

• Player who loses his helmet is considered “obviously out of the play,” that is, may not be hit by an opponent.

Leaping to Block Punt

• New (9-1-11-c): “No defensive player who is inside the tackle box may try to block a punt by leaving his feet in an attempt to leap directly over an opponent.

1.It is not a foul if the player tries to block the punt by jumping straight up without attempting to leap over the opponent.

2.It is not a foul if a player attempts to leap through or over the gap between players.

Blocking Below the Waist Defined2-3-2

• Force of the initial contact is below the waist.

• Opponent has one or both feet on the ground.

• When in question: contact is below the waist.

• Not a block below the waist if:

1) Blocker makes contact above the waist then slides below the waist.

2) Blocker first contacts opponent’s hands at or above the waist.

Blocking Below the Waist Always Illegal

• During a down in which there is a kick, free kick or scrimmage kick. (9-1-6-b)

• After a change of possession. (9-1-6-c) New: Team A player beyond the neutral

zone blocking back toward his goal line. (9-1-6-a-1)

Restricted &Unrestricted Players

Team A

Restricted Players (9-1-6-2)

a. A lineman at the snap more than seven yards from the middle lineman.

b. A back at the snap with the frame of the body completely outside the tackle box or completely outside the frame of the body of the second lineman from the snapper.

c. A back in motion at the snap and during this continuous motion was outside the area above any time after the ready and before the snap.

Unrestricted Players (9-1-6-a-4)

• All other Team A players are unrestricted and may legally block below the waist.

• In particular a back in motion and never outside the area (i.e. the tackle box).

But note: no Team A player beyond the neutral zone may B-B-W back toward his own goal line.

A Restricted Player

• May not B-B-W inside the tackle box.

• Outside the tackle box may B-B-W only:

1. along the north-south line or,

2. toward his adjacent sideline.

• New Definition: Adjacent Sideline (2-12-10):

a. For a player stationary or in motion at the snap, the adjacent sideline is the sideline to his outside.

b. For a player in motion effectively behind the snapper, the adjacent sideline is the sideline he is moving toward.

Tackle Box(Centered on Snapper,extended to end line.)

Unrestricted: Inside the tackle box at the snap orOn the line of scrimmage inside the seven-yard limit.

Unrestricted Restricted

1) May not B-B-W inside the tackle box; 2) may B-B-W only toward their adjacent sideline, or along the north-south line

North-South Line

Restricted Players

Wide Receiver 85 positioned on the line of scrimmagemore than seven yards from middle lineman. (Restricted Player)

North-South Line

85

Wide Receiver 85 moves beyond the neutral zone.

North-South Line

85

84

Number 84 moves to a position behind the tackle, setsand thereby becomes an Unrestricted Player.

84

Number 84 is in motion at the snap, but outside (Restricted the tackle box after the ready and before the snap. Player)

84

Number 84 is in motion and directly behind the snapperat the snap. (Restricted; adjacent sideline = right sideline)

Number 5 in motion at the snap and never outside the tackle box. (Unrestricted Player)

5

Number 5 in motion at the snap and outside the tackle box. (Restricted Player)

5

Number 63 moves beyond the neutral zone.

63

Team B Blocking Below the Waist

New: (9-1-6-a-5) “Team B may block below the waist only within the area defined by lines parallel to the goal line five yards beyond and behind the neutral zone extended to the sidelines.” Two exceptions: [no change]

1. Against an opponent in position to receive a backward pass. (9-1-6-a-6)

2. Against an eligible Team A receiver beyond the neutral zone unless attempting to get to the ball or ball carrier. (9-1-6-a-7)

Two exceptions: (no change)1) player in position to receive backward pass or 2) eligible receiver beyond the neutral zone.

5 yardsbeyond &behind NZ

Defensive players may B-B-W in the area 5 yards beyond and behind the neutral zone.

And That’s All.

Questions?