| Rules Changes, Editorial Changes or Points of Emphasis for 2008: |
| 1. |
The head coach can now designate another coach for the purpose of requesting time-outs.
True |
| 2. |
Coaches and officials must collaborate to protect the player by teaching proper techniques and penalizing improper use of the football helmet.
True |
| 3. |
A multiple foul is one or more live-ball fouls (other than nonplayer or unsportsmanlike).
False |
| 4. |
After a fumble, kick or backward pass has been grounded, a new force may result from a bat, an illegal kick or a muff.
True |
| 5. |
The use of an illegal kicking tee will now be penalized as unsportsmanlike conduct committed by the player.
False |
| 6. |
The official discovers a player who is bleeding, has an open wound, has any amount of blood on his/her uniform, or has blood on his/her person, shall be directed to leave the game until the bleeding is stopped, the wound is covered, the uniform and/or body is appropriately cleaned, and/or the uniform is changed before returning to competition.
True |
| 7. |
The helmet shall be secured by a properly fastened chin strap with at least four attachment points.
True |
| 8. |
Coaches and players must recognize and be aware of team and coaching-box rules that are in effect during the contest.
True |
| 9. |
Unused second half time-outs can be used in overtime.
False |
| 10. |
It is recommended that the restraining line be marked by placing 12-inch-long lines, separated at 24-inch intervals.
True |
| Authorized Conferences: |
| 11. |
An authorized conference may be held following a try.
True |
| 12. |
The coach is permitted to use only one of the two types of conferences during a game.
False |
| Batting: |
| 13. |
It is not a foul if a player contacts a loose ball with his hand.
True |
| 14. |
The penalty for illegal batting is 15 yards and loss of down.
False |
| 15. |
Batting a fumble in flight is illegal.
False |
| 16. |
A forward pass may be batted in any direction by all eligible receivers.
True |
| Blocking: |
| 17. |
A team B player may use locked hands to ward off an opponent who is blocking him or attempting to block him.
False |
| 18. |
It is an illegal use-of-hands foul if the runner grasps a teammate.
True |
| 19. |
Following an interception, it is legal for the intercepting team to block below the waist.
False |
| 20. |
It is illegal for B1 to trip runner A1.
False |
| Dead Ball: |
| 21. |
The ball becomes dead during a try when B1 secures possession or as soon as it is apparent that a kick try is unsuccessful.
True |
| 22. |
A legal, free or scrimmage kick that is not a scoring attempt does not become dead until the ball touches something after it is behind R’s goal-line plane.
False |
| Definitions: |
| 23. |
The ball is live only during a down.
True |
| 24. |
A drop kick is a legal kick by a player who drops the ball and kicks it just before it has touched the ground.
False |
| 25. |
Loss of down is the loss of the right to replay a down.
True |
| 26. |
Spearing is an act by a defensive player who initiates contact with a ball carrier with the front of his helmet.
False |
| 27. |
In a scrimmage kick formation, the snapper has special protection only until the ball has clearly been released in a legal snap.
False |
| 28. |
The basic spot is a point of reference for penalty enforcement.
True |
| 29. |
A loose ball is a pass, fumble or kick.
True |
| 30. |
A player is in the free-blocking zone when any part of his body is in the zone at the snap.
True |
| Downs - New Series: |
| 31. |
The down does not end when a runner is held so that the runner’s forward progress is stopped.
False |
| 32. |
Roughing the kicker is a foul that results in a 15-yard penalty plus a first down.
True |
| Equipment - Game/Field: |
| 33. |
The ball shall contain one set of either 10 or 14 evenly spaced laces.
False |
| 34. |
Supplementary equipment to aid in game administration may be used if authorized by the referee.
False |
| 35. |
The goal is a vertical plane midway between the sidelines extending indefinitely above the crossbar and outer edges of the uprights and in the same vertical plane as the inside edge of the end line.
False |
| 36. |
The kicking tee may not elevate the ball more than 2 inches above the ground.
True |
| 37. |
The bottom edge of the crossbar shall be 10 feet above the ground.
False |
| 38. |
Advertising and/or commercial markings on the field of play are prohibited.
True |
| Equipment - Player: |
| 39. |
A player’s towel may have a ball-drying product applied to it that will affect the football.
False |
| 40. |
Players of the same team can participate during the same down while wearing identical numbers.
False |
| 41. |
The equipment that all players are required to wear shall be professionally manufactured and not altered to decrease protection.
True |
| 42. |
Tear-away jerseys may be worn if both coaches agree to use them.
False |
| 43. |
Equipment that becomes illegal through game use is handled by rule procedure without penalizing the player or the head coach.
True |
| 44. |
A player’s hard forearm cast/splint must be covered on all exterior surfaces with no less than 1/2-inch thick, high density, closed-cell polyurethane, or an alternate material of the same minimum thickness and similar physical properties.
True |
| 45. |
If a player does not have a helmet that met the NOCSAE test standards when manufactured, he may participate, but a 5-yard penalty shall be enforced.
False |
| 46. |
Player’s jersey numbers are limited to those that are 1 through 99.
True |
| Fouls: |
| 47. |
Tripping an opponent who is not the runner is legal.
False |
| 48. |
If a false start causes B to encroach, only the false start is penalized.
True |
| 49. |
If a player is charged with an unsportsmanlike foul because of a prolonged or excessive act, he must also be disqualified.
False |
| 50. |
If a replaced player is unable to leave the field prior to the snap, it is an illegal substitution foul if he does not participate nor affect play.
True |
| 51. |
An offensive player cannot commit a spearing foul.
False |
| 52. |
It is an unsportsmanlike foul if disqualified A1 re-enters to participate.
False |
| 53. |
The spot of a foul is where the foul occurs.
True |
| 54. |
In all situations, the first team box violation charged to Team A or B results in a 5-yard penalty.
False |
| 55. |
A live-ball foul and a dead-ball foul cannot be combined to create a double foul.
True |
| 56. |
It is an unsportsmanlike foul if a coach is detected using tobacco.
True |
| Fundamentals - Fundamental Statements: |
| 57. |
A foul can cause the loss of the ball.
False |
| 58. |
The distance penalty for any foul may be declined.
True |
| 59. |
Forward pass interference can occur behind, in or beyond the neutral zone.
False |
| 60. |
A scrimmage kick recovered in or behind the neutral zone may not be advanced by K or R.
False |
| Illegal Participation: |
| 61. |
If a substitute or replaced player influences the play, it is illegal participation.
True |
| 62. |
Illegal participation can be a non-player foul.
False |
| Illegal Formation: |
| 63. |
An offensive player is on his line of scrimmage when he complies with the position requirements of a lineman.
True |
| 64. |
A defensive player is considered on the line of scrimmage when he is within 2 yards of the line of scrimmage at the snap.
False |
| 65. |
A scrimmage formation requires a minimum of five A players legally on their line at the snap.
False |
| 66. |
Any player of A numbered 1-49 or 80-99 who is an interior lineman at the snap is not an eligible pass receiver.
True |
| Passing: |
| 67. |
If an illegal forward pass strikes the ground, the ball remains live.
False |
| 68. |
A player who is an eligible receiver at the snap may become ineligible during the down.
False |
| 69. |
A backward pass is a pass thrown with its initial direction parallel with or toward the runner’s end line.
True |
| 70. |
Pass eligibility rules apply to both legal and illegal forward passes.
False |
| 71. |
A passer continues to be a passer until the legal forward pass ends or until he moves to participate in the play.
True |
| 72. |
A forward pass is a pass thrown with its initial direction toward the opponent’s end line.
True |
| Penalty Enforcement: |
| 73. |
It is unsportsmanlike conduct for any player to commit any act that tends to engender ill will.
True |
| 74. |
If a player commits an obviously unfair act that has no specific rules coverage, the referee may enforce any penalty he considers equitable.
True |
| 75. |
The penalty for an unsportsmanlike foul is enforced from the spot of the foul.
False |
| 76. |
If the head coach is ejected, the game must be forfeited immediately.
False |
| 77. |
If B fouls during a successful field goal by A, the penalty is automatically declined.
False |
| 78. |
If a foul occurs simultaneously with the snap, it is enforced from the succeeding spot.
False |
| Possession: |
| 79. |
A muff and a fumble are considered one and the same by definition.
False |
| 80. |
When a ball is loose, it is in possession of the team of the player who was last in possession.
True |
| Safety: |
| 81. |
It is a safety if A1 retreats into A’s end zone and fumbles the ball beyond the end line.
True |
| 82. |
On kicks entering R’s end zone, the determination of force dictates whether it is a touchback or a safety.
False |
| 83. |
The team whose goal line is involved shall put the ball in play anywhere between the inbounds lines on its 20-yard line by a snap after a touchback and by a free kick after a safety.
True |
| 84. |
If B1 intercepts a forward pass in B’s end zone and drops to one knee, it is a safety.
False |
| Scrimmage Kicks: |
| 85. |
Team A may punt, drop-kick or place-kick from in or behind the neutral zone before the team possession has changed.
True |
| 86. |
A punt is a legal kick made while the ball is in a fixed position on the ground.
False |
| 87. |
If a scrimmage kick becomes dead inbounds with no player in possession, it belongs to R.
True |
| 88. |
The touching of a low scrimmage kick by any player is ignored if the touching is in or behind the expanded neutral zone.
True |
| Snap: |
| 89. |
After touching the ball, the snapper may remove both hands from the ball.
False |
| 90. |
An illegal snap causes the ball to remain dead.
True |
| 91. |
The snapper may have his free hand on the ground in advance of the ball.
False |
| 92. |
A snap is the legal act of passing or handing the ball backward from its position on the ground.
True |
| Time-outs: |
| 93. |
Charged team time-outs shall be reduced in length if both teams are ready to play before the ready-for-play signal.
True |
| 94. |
The ball shall be declared ready-for-play immediately when the team that called the time-out is ready to resume play.
False |
| 95. |
A clock will start with the ready-for-play following a television time-out.
False |
| 96. |
An official’s time-out can be called for unusual heat or humidity situations.
True |
| Timing: |
| 97. |
A state association may establish guidelines to use a running clock when a point differential is reached.
True |
| 98. |
After the ball goes out of bounds, the clock always starts with the ready-for-play.
False |
| 99. |
The clock will start with the snap following the enforcement of a “delay of game” penalty.
True |
| 100. |
On all free kicks, the clock will start when the ball is marked ready-for-play.
False |