American Football NCAA Approved Ruling 9-3-3

I. A6 is advancing the ball. During the run, A12 vigorously blocks B2 with a rough push in the back above the waist. RULING: Illegal block in the back. Penalty—10 yards.

II. A teammate of the passer or ball carrier, while charging across the neutral zone, contacts an opponent with his hands and arms not parallel to the ground or his hands cupped or closed but with the palms not facing the opponent. RULING: Legal use of hands.

III. A teammate of the passer or ball carrier, behind the neutral zone, has his arms parallel to the ground and contacts an opponent above the shoulders. RULING: Illegal use of hands. Penalty—10 yards or 15 yards for personal foul, previous-spot enforcement. Safety if the foul occurs behind Team A’s goal line.

IV. A teammate of the passer or ball carrier delivers a blow with the hand(s) closed to an opponent below the shoulders. RULING: Personal foul. Penalty—15 yards. Enforce at the previous spot if foul occurs behind the neutral zone. Safety if the foul occurs behind Team A’s goal line.

V. A2’s hands contact defensive player B2 in a legal block. B2 spins to avoid blocker A2, whose hands then contact B2’s back. RULING: Legal block.

VI. A2’s hands contact defensive player B2’s back when B2 spins to avoid A2. A2 keeps his hands on B2’s back while B2 advances toward the passer. RULING: Legal block.

VII. A2’s hands contact defensive player B2 when B2 spins to avoid blocker A2, whose hands then contact B2’s back. After A2’s hands lose contact with B2, A2 advances and pushes B2 in the back. RULING: Illegal block in the back. Penalty—10 yards. Enforce at the previous spot if foul occurs behind the neutral zone (Rule 2-3-4). Safety if the foul occurs behind Team A’s goal line.

VIII. A1 in, beyond or behind the neutral zone contacts an opponent with an open hand or with hands closed or cupped and palms not facing the opponent. RULING: Legal block.

IX. A12 takes the snap and retreats to pass. Defensive end B95 gets past A75 and is about to tackle A12, who is still inside the tackle box. A75 pushes B95 in the back at the numbers to prevent him from making the tackle. A12’s pass is complete for a touchdown. RULING: Touchdown counts. No foul by A75. Such continuing action involving pass protection while the passer remains inside the tackle box are within the spirit of the exceptions to Rule 9-3-5 and are thus legal. However, if this is a totally separate action and a new block outside the blocking zone, it is a foul for a block in the back.