Rules Book Corrections:
3-7-2, Page 41: A player, replaced player or a substitute who has been unable to complete the substitution, is required to leave the field at the side on which his team box is located and go directly to his team box.

10-2-2, Page 69: …all R fouls are post-scrimmage kick fouls, after the kick has been made then R may …"

Penalty Summary, Page 89: Loss of 5 yards, #16 Illegal forward pass (by A) (also loss of down)

Interpretations:
SITUATION 1: Team A has the ball, first down and 10 on its own 40-yard line. A1 drops back and intends to throw a backward pass to A2. The pass is actually thrown forward. A2 then throws a second forward pass from A's 35-yard line that falls incomplete. RULING: Illegal forward pass. If the penalty is accepted, it is enforced from the spot where the illegal forward pass was thrown. This would result in a second down and 20 yards to gain for A from its 30-yard line. If the penalty is declined, the down counts and A would put the ball in play with a second down and 15 yards to gain at its 35-yard line.

SITUATION 2: Team A has the ball, first down and 10 on its own 5-yard line. A1 drops back and intends to throw a backward pass to A2. The pass is actually thrown forward. A2 then throws a second forward pass from the end zone that falls incomplete. RULING: Illegal forward pass. If the penalty is accepted, it is enforced from the spot where the illegal forward pass was thrown. Since that spot is in the end zone, the result is a safety. If the penalty is declined, the down counts and a safety is scored as the end of the running play was in the end zone.

SITUATION 3: Team A has the ball, third down and 10 from its own 5-yard line. During the pass, which was incomplete, A2 holds in the end zone. Time in the first period expires during the down. RULING: Safety. The period is extended for the free-kick.

SITUATION 4: Team K is in scrimmage-kick formation, fourth down and five yards to gain from its own 20-yard line. At the snap, K is guilty of an illegal formation. Following K1's punt, R2 roughs K1. RULING: Since R's foul is not a PSK foul, it becomes a double foul and the down is replayed.

SITUATION 5: Team K is in scrimmage-kick formation, fourth down and five yards to gain from its own 20-yard line. At the snap, K is guilty of an illegal formation. While K1's punt is in flight, beyond the expanded neutral zone, R2 head slaps K3 at K's 20-yard line. RULING: Since R's foul is not a PSK foul, it is a double foul and the down is replayed.

SITUATION 6: A2 is near the sideline and has the ball knocked loose by B1, who is out of bounds and then the ball is recovered by B2. RULING: B's ball at the point of recovery by B2. (2-18; 2-28-2)

SITUATION 7: During a free kick, the ball is rolling on the ground near the sideline where R1, who has one foot out of bounds, bats the ball forward. Is this illegal batting? RULING: No. The ball was dead out of bounds before the bat. (2-28-3)

SITUATION 8: During a free kick, the ball is rolling near the sideline at R's 10-yard line. R2's right foot steps on the sideline while the left foot is inbounds at R's 10-yard line. R2 then bats the ball forward and out of bounds at R's 15-yard line. Is this illegal batting? RULING: No. It will be R's ball, first and 10 yards to gain at R's 10-yard line. (6-1-8)

SITUATION 9: During an attempted onside kick from its 40-yard line, the ball bounces into the air. As the ball is airborne, near R's 49-yard line, K2 jumps and controls the ball at R's 48-yard line. Prior to K2 coming to the ground, K2 is pushed out of bounds where the recovery is completed. In the covering official's opinion, K2 would have landed inbounds. RULING: Free kick out of bounds. (2-4-1; 2-34-1; 6-1-8)

SITUATION 10: Team A has a third down and eight yards to gain at its own 5 yard-line. A1 is tackled in the end zone. But during the play, B2 grabs and twists A3's facemask while in the end zone. RULING: A is awarded a new series at A's 15-yard line. (9-4-3h; 10-5-2)

SITUATION 11: Team A has a third down and five yards to go from B's 40-yard line. A2 advances to B's 36-yard line. As the tackle is being made, A2 extends the ball over B's 35-yard line and prior to down ending, B2 kicks the ball out of A's hands and B2 recovers the ball. RULING: A is awarded a new series at B's 20-yard line. (9-7-1)

SITUATION 12: A1 drops back to pass and lineman A5 sets to pass block B5, but A5 does not make contact with B1. Lineman A6, who was adjacent to A5, blocks B1 at the knees. RULING: This is not a chop block; however, there could be a foul for blocking below the waist if the ball has left the free-blocking zone. (2-3-9; 2-17-2; 2-17-5)

Case Book (Clarifications):

SITUATION 4, Page 4: During the official's visit to the locker room, Team A's coach indicates he has players using hand pads, but they don't have the NF/NCAA label on the pads. RULING: The pads are legal for the 2005 season. Beginning with the 2008 season, all hand pads and gloves will be required to carry the label stipulating that they have passed the specifications established in 1994 by SGMA.

SITUATION 9, Page 6: A1 throws a legal forward pass to A5, who is behind the line of scrimmage and who in turn throws another forward pass to A11 who advances the ball for a first down. RULING: The second legal forward pass is illegal.

*2.17.2 SITUATION D, Page 14: Linebacker B7 is in the free-blocking zone, but off the line of scrimmage. B7 blocks A8 below the waist. RULING: Illegal block. In order for a block below the waist in back to be legal, both the blocker and the person being blocked must be on the line of scrimmage and in the free-blocking zone.

3.3.4 *3.3.3SITUATION A, Page 19: The clock is running with 10 seconds remaining in the fourth period as A1 drops back about four yards and intentionally grounds a forward pass to stop the clock. The penalty is accepted. The referee starts the clock on the ready following penalty enforcement (Rule 3-6-3) and time expires before A can snap the ball. RULING: If B accepted the foul, the game is over and there is no untimed down as A had an accepted foul on the last timed down that called for loss of down. A is entitled to an untimed down. If B declined the penalty and the clock runs out, the game is over. The referee followed the rules correctly when he started the clock on the ready following the illegal pass to conserve time. The option of penalty declination must be clearly explained to the captain of B. (3-6-3, 7-5-2d)

3.5.11 SITUATION A, Page 25: It is third and 8 from A’s 45 when A1 throws an incomplete forward pass. Erroneously, the ball is spotted at the 50. The ball is declared ready for play and K1 punts the ball into R’s end zone. Following the down, the R captain requests a time-out so the coach may discuss the misapplication of the rules with the referee on the missed spotting of the ball after third down. RULING: Since the spotting of the ball was part of the previous play, it is too late to make any correction. The error had to be recognized and correction made before the ball was snapped on fourth down.

*3.7 COMMENT, Page 26: a. If a replaced player or substitute attempts to leave the field, but does not get off prior to the snap, the foul is considered as having occurred simultaneously with the snap and the illegal substitution penalty is enforced from the previous spot. (3-7-4, 10-4-2a)

4.2.2 SITUATION G, Page 30: K1 punts from midfield and R1 gives a fair-catch signal at R’s 10-yard line. R1 muffs the catch and the ball bounces toward R’s end zone. (a) R2 recovers at the 1-yard line and his momentum takes him into the end zone where he is tackled; or (b) R3 recovers and is downed on R’s 2-yard line; or (c) K2 recovers and is downed on R’s 5. RULING: In (a), it is R’s ball on the 1-yard line because the ball became dead when R2 recovered following the fair-catch signal. Also, momentum is not a factor once the kick touched the ground. In (b), it is R’s ball on the 2 and in (c) it is K’s ball on the 5-yard line. (4-2-2f, g)

4.3.3 SITUATION B, Page 32: A has third down and seven yards to gain at B’s 30. A1 leaps near the sideline to catch a pass near B’s 30-yard line. A1 is driven out of bounds backwards by B2 while making the catch and lands outside the sideline at B’s 32. RULING: The covering official must make the following decisions: Did B2’s actions cause A1 to land out of bounds? If the official determines that B2 caused A1 to land out of bounds, then the official must determine forward progress in the field of play and should not stop the clock. If however, the clock is stopped, it The clock should start on the ready because forward progress was stopped in the field of play. If A1 would have landed out of bounds of his own accord, it is an incomplete pass and the clock should be stopped. (4-3-2) COMMENT: When any receiver is close to the sideline and is contacted by an opponent, the covering official must make a decision about where he would have landed without the contact.

*5.1.2 SITUATION B, PAGE 34: During A1’s run for a first down to B’s 20-yard line, B12 commits a nonplayer foul for a substitute entering the field during the down, but not touching the ball, influencing the play, etc. Immediately following the down, A1 taunts an opponent. RULING: If the official determines B12’s act of entering the field to be a foul, and it is accepted, the penalty for B entering during the down is enforced from the previous spot. After the decision in this foul, A will be penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct and A will have the ball 1st and 10. (9-5-1a; 9-6-1a)

6.1.8 SITUATION F, Page 39: K1 tries an onside kick from K’s 40. K2 muffs the ball at K’s 48, and the ball bounces off R and is muffed out of bounds by K3 at R’s 45. RULING: Because R touched the ball, there is no penalty. R can either choose to take the ball at K’s 48 at the spot of first touching or at R’s 45 where the ball went out of bounds.

*7.5.9 SITUATION, Page 53: Quarterback A1 drops back and throws an underhand shovel pass forward to back A2 who is behind the neutral zone. A2 throws the ball back to A1. A1 then throws the ball forward beyond the neutral zone to A3. B1 blocks A3 away from the ball and intercepts A1’s pass. RULING: Illegal forward pass by A1 for the second pass. Legal contact by B1. and the play stands Pass interference restrictions for B players ended when the shovel pass was touched. In addition, pass interference restrictions only apply on a legal forward pass. Depending on the game situation, B will likely decline A’s foul and keep the football.

7.5.10 SITUATION F, Page 54: While a legal forward pass is in flight, beyond the neutral zone and in the direction of the potential receiver: (a) to eligible A1 who is near a sideline; or (b) to eligible A2 who is out of bounds, B1 blocks eligible A3 who is beyond the neutral zone. RULING: It is defensive pass interference in both (a) and (b). Once the forward pass that goes beyond the neutral zone is in flight, it is pass interference for any B player to block an eligible receiver beyond the neutral zone if the contact is in the immediate area of the pass,regardless of the position of the ball at the time of the block, or and regardless of whether or not the pass is catchable. (7-5-11)

8.2.2 SITUATION B, Page 55: Delete.

9.3.2 SITUATION B, Page 63: A1 and A2 combine in blocking B1 as follows: (a) both block B1 downfield with A1 making contact above the waist and A2 simultaneously making contact below the waist, but above the knees; or (b) both block B1 below the waist in the 6 x 8 area; or (c) A1 blocks B1 above the waist and, thereafter, while A1 is still contacting B1, A2 cuts him down at the knees; or (d) both A1 and A2 block B1 above the waist at the same time. RULING: Illegal block below the waist chop block by A2 in (a). In (b), the block is legal if the block and both blockers are within the 6 x 8 area at the snap and contact is simultaneous. In (c), it is an illegal chop block if A2’s contact occurred within the 6 x 8 zone and an illegal block below the waist by A2 if outside the zone. Blocking below the waist at the knees is legal within the 6 x 8 zone; however, when A2 delays his block and makes contact at the knees or below while a teammate is also in contact with the opponent, it is an illegal chop block. In (d), the multiple block is legal. (2-17; 9-3-6)

*9.6 COMMENT, Page 71: b: If a substitute enters the field during the down, but does not make any contact with an opponent or touch the ball and does not influence the play it is illegal participation and a live-ball foul enforced from the basic spot. (9-6-4a) NOTE: Based on the rules change, officials are strongly encouraged to make certain that the substitute’s entry into the field had some impact on the play and was not incidental to viewing the game or simply being in the bench area.

10.4.5 SITUATION C, Page 86: With fourth and 40 from A’s 10-yard line, A1 runs to A’s 44 where he is downed. During the down, substitute B1 enters the field. RULING: B1’s foul is a live-ball foul enforced from the basic spot. nonplayer foul penalized from the succeeding spot It is A’s ball first and 10 from B’s 41-yard line. (9-6-4a)

*10.5.3 SITUATION B, Page 88: During a touchdown run by A1, B1 holds. During the successful kick try, there is a foul by B2. RULING: A may keep the score with the try being from the 1½-yard line following penalty enforcement. For the foul on the try, A may accept and replay the try from the ¾-yard line or accept the one-point try and enforce B’s try foul on the kickoff. B1’s hold will be declined giving A the touchdown. A may choose to replay the try from the 1½-yard line or accept the score and enforce the penalty on the kickoff for B2’s foul during the try.