SECTION 1. The Scrimmage  

Article 1 - Ball Ready for Play  

a. No player shall put the ball in play before it is ready for play. [S1] NOTE: If the ball is snapped after the ball declared ready but before all the officials are ready, any official shall stop the play immediately without penalty and the Referee will order the down to be replayed. The Referee shall take care only to declare the ball ready for play if all officials are ready and in position.
PENALTY - Ball remains dead, 5 yards, enforced from the dead ball spot. [S19] b. The ball shall be put in play within 25 seconds after the Referee has declared the ball ready for play.
PENALTY - Ball remains dead, 5 yards, enforced from the dead ball spot. [S21]

Article 2 - Starting with a Snap 

After the snapper touches the ball, the snapper may not lift the ball, move it forward or simulate the start of the snap.
Before the snap, the long axis of the ball shall be at right angles to the scrimmage line.
A legal snap is handing or passing the ball backward from its position on the ground with a quick and continuous backward motion of the hand or hands that results in losing possession of the ball. The snap need not be between the snapper’s legs.
PENALTY - Ball remains dead, 5 yards, enforced from the dead ball spot. [S19]

Article 3 - Offensive Team Requirements

There is no minimum number of players on the scrimmage line at the snap.
a. After the snapper touches the ball and before the ball is snapped all offensive players shall be in bounds behind their scrimmage line (encroachment).
b. The first and each following shift must be completed before the snap starts. AR 7-1-3-I
c. No offensive player shall make a false start or make any abrupt movement that simulates the beginning of a play.
PENALTY - Ball remains dead, 5 yards, enforced from the dead ball spot. [S19] d. When the snap starts, one offensive player may be in motion, may not be moving toward the opponent’s goal line. When the snap starts and 2 or more players are moving, it is an illegal shift. AR 7-1-3-II
PENALTY - 5 yards, enforced from the scrimmage line. [S19] e. The quarterback cannot run with the ball beyond the scrimmage line, unless the ball has been solely possessed by another player and returned to them or touched by a defender while in flight.
f. When the ball is snapped on or inside the 5-yard line going towards the opponent’s end zone (no-running zone), the offense shall make a forward pass play. If the quarterback or runner gets deflagged behind the scrimmage line before a forward pass play has been completed, there is no foul for an illegal run play. AR 7-1-3-III to VII
PENALTY - 5 yards, also loss of down, enforced from the scrimmage line. [S19]
g. The quarterback has 7 seconds to pass or hand-off the ball after the snap. If this limit is exceeded, the ball becomes dead at the scrimmage line.
PENALTY - Loss of down at the scrimmage line. [S21 + S9]

Article 4 - Defensive Team Requirements  

a. Before the ball is snapped all defenders shall be in bounds and behind their scrimmage line (offside). AR 7-1-4-I
b. After the ball is declared ready for play no defender shall touch the ball until after the snap is complete.
c. No defender shall use words or signals that disconcert opponents when they are preparing to put the ball in play.
d. A maximum of 2 players may establish themselves as a blitzer. If a player who signals is less than 7 yards from the scrimmage line or if a player is giving an invalid signal or if more than 2 players simultaneously keep their hand raised after the snapper has touched the ball, it is a foul for illegal signal. AR 7-1-4-II to VII
PENALTY - Ball remains dead, 5 yards, enforced from the dead ball spot. [S18] e. Any defender who has all parts of the body more than 7 yards away from the scrimmage line at the snap may cross the scrimmage line multiple times until the ball is dead. There is no requirement for a player requesting right of way to establish as blitzer and any player (> 7 yards) may rush the quarterback during the play.
f. All defenders less than 7 yards away from their scrimmage line at the snap shall stay behind their scrimmage line until the ball has been handed off, fake handed off or passed by the quarterback.
PENALTY - 5 yards, spot of foul is the scrimmage line, enforced from the scrimmage line. [S18]

Article 5 - Handing the Ball   

a. The offense may hand off the ball multiple times as long as both involved players are behind the scrimmage line, provided the ball has not been carried beyond the scrimmage line and it is prior to any change of team possession.
b. No snapper shall receive a forward hand-off.
PENALTY - 5 yards, also loss of down, enforced from the spot of foul. [S19]

SECTION 2. Passes and Fumbles 

Article 1 - Backward Pass  

A runner may pass the ball backwards provided it has not previously been carried beyond the scrimmage line and it is prior to any change of team possession. AR 7-2-1-I to IV
PENALTY - 5 yards, also loss of down, enforced from the spot of foul. [S35]

Article 2 - Complete Pass  

Article 3 - Incomplete Pass   

Any pass is incomplete if the ball touches the ground when not firmly controlled by a player. It also is incomplete when a player jumps and receives the pass but first lands on or outside a boundary line. [S10] When a forward pass is incomplete, the ball belongs to the passing team at the previous scrimmage line, which is the dead ball spot.
When a backward pass is incomplete, the ball belongs to the passing team at the spot of the last player’s possession, which is the dead ball spot.

Article 4 - Fumble   

Article 5 - Illegal Touching and Batting  

a. The passer is only allowed to touch, bat or catch a pass that has been thrown by themselves after it has been touched by a defender.
b. No offensive player who goes out of bounds voluntarily during a down shall touch a pass in flight. If an offensive player is forced out of bounds due to a foul and immediately returns to the field of play or end zone, the player remains eligible to touch or catch a pass.
PENALTY - Loss of down at the scrimmage line. [S19] c. A backward pass shall not be batted forward by the passing team.
Outside of the above restriction, inbound players are eligible to touch or bat a pass in any direction. AR 7-2-5-I to III
PENALTY - 5 yards, also loss of down, enforced from the spot of foul. [S19]

SECTION 3. Forward Pass  

Article 1 - Legal Forward Pass 

Article 2 - Illegal Forward Pass  

A forward pass is illegal:
a. If thrown by an offensive player who is beyond the scrimmage line when the ball is released.
b. If thrown after a runner has gone beyond the scrimmage line.
c. If it is the second forward pass by the offense during the same down.
d. If thrown after team possession has changed during the down.
PENALTY - 5 yards, also loss of down, enforced from the spot of foul. [S35]

Article 3 - Pass Interference 

Pass interference is physical contact on a legal forward pass play up to the point where the pass is touched by a player or falls incomplete.
Pass interference is contact that interferes with an opponent whilst the ball is in the air. It is the responsibility of the defender to avoid the opponents.
It is not pass interference when 2 or more eligible players are making a simultaneous and fair attempt to touch, bat or catch the pass. Eligible players of either team have equal rights to the ball, but it is the responsibility of the player in the disadvantageous position to avoid the opponent. AR 7-3-3-I to III
PENALTY - 10 yards, enforced from the basic spot. Loss of down for fouls by offense. [S33] Automatic first down for fouls by defense. [S33]NOTE: Contact on a pass play before the pass has been thrown or if the pass does not cross the scrimmage line, is a foul for illegal contact (R 9-1-1).