High school football rules discussion

I know the free blocking zone is tackle to tackle, but what about for defense?

Can my DE bear crawl through the TEs leg and cut him down?

“SECTION 17 FREE-BLOCKING ZONE — LEGAL BLOCKING BELOW THE WAIST, LEGAL CLIPPING, LEGAL BLOCK IN THE BACK

ART. 1 . . . The free-blocking zone is a rectangular area extending *laterally 4 yards either side of the spot of the snap and 3 yards behind each line of *scrimmage. A player is in the free-blocking zone when any part of his body is in the zone at the snap.

ART. 2 . . . Blocking below the waist is permitted in the free-blocking zone when the following conditions are met:

a. All players involved in the blocking are on the line of scrimmage and in the zone at the snap.”

“b. The contact is in the zone.

ART. 3 . . . Clipping is permitted in the free-blocking zone when the following conditions are met:

a. By offensive linemen who are on the line of scrimmage and in the zone at the snap.

b. Against defensive players who are on the line of scrimmage and in the zone at the snap.

c. The contact is in the zone.

ART. 4 . . . Blocking in the back is permitted in the free-blocking zone when the following conditions are met:

a. By offensive linemen who are on the line of scrimmage and in the zone at the snap.

b. Against defensive players who are in the zone at the snap.”

“c. The contact is in the zone.

ART. 5 . . . The free-blocking zone disintegrates and the exception for a player to block below the waist and/or the exception for an offensive lineman to clip and/or block in the back is not to continue after the ball has left the zone.”
 
On defensive offside/encroachment does the game clock restart on the snap or the ready for play?

The losing team was on offense and it was 1st and 10 with just under 1 minute keft in the 4th quarter. The last play was a completed pass with the receiver down in bounds.
 
On defensive offside/encroachment does the game clock restart on the snap or the ready for play?

The losing team was on offense and it was 1st and 10 with just under 1 minute keft in the 4th quarter. The last play was a completed pass with the receiver down in bounds.
In your scenario, in most situations, it would start on the snap since the defense may have been doing it to try and run more time off. In this scenario it would be at the referee's discretion.

Under normal game situations, the clock would start on the ready since the previous play was a complete pass in bounds.
 
In your scenario, in most situations, it would start on the snap since the defense may have been doing it to try and run more time off. In this scenario it would be at the referee's discretion.

Under normal game situations, the clock would start on the ready since the previous play was a complete pass in bounds.

Thanks
 
Not sure if this is the rule in hs or not, but I've noticed over the last few years that when there is a personal foul or unsportsmanlike call in a college game after a first down or a change of possession that the yards will be marked off, but it is still 1st and 10. I can remember when that would've been a 1st and 25. Like I said I'm not sure if they do this in hs or not, but does anybody know when this rule was changed and why?
 
Not sure if this is the rule in hs or not, but I've noticed over the last few years that when there is a personal foul or unsportsmanlike call in a college game after a first down or a change of possession that the yards will be marked off, but it is still 1st and 10. I can remember when that would've been a 1st and 25. Like I said I'm not sure if they do this in hs or not, but does anybody know when this rule was changed and why?

Only a foul after the ready for playnwould make it something other than 1st and 10.
 
Bump....I am a few years removed but still enjoy talking rules.
Here's a question I'll dust off for you: If unsportsmanlike conduct is called on the defense after a ball carrier is stopped short and the play is whistled dead, how is the penalty yardage handled, and does the offense retain possession?
 
Here's a question I'll dust off for you: If unsportsmanlike conduct is called on the defense after a ball carrier is stopped short and the play is whistled dead, how is the penalty yardage handled, and does the offense retain possession?

On 3rd down, offense keeps ball and gets a 1st down.

On forth down, the turn over on downs would stand and then the penalty would be assessed.
 
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On 3rd down, offense keeps ball and gets a 1st down.

On forth down, the turn over on downs would stand and then the penalty would be assessed.
I'm not sure how I left "4th down" out of my question. Several years back, I saw that very thing with some pushing and shoving after the play. The penalty was on the defense. The officials walked off 15 yards and the offense kept the ball.
 
Here's a question I'll dust off for you: If unsportsmanlike conduct is called on the defense after a ball carrier is stopped short and the play is whistled dead, how is the penalty yardage handled, and does the offense retain possession?
Dead ball after the play. Mark the yardage. Defense gets the ball, 1st and 10.
Technically when the ball was downed the series ended as a turnover in downs. Then a foul occurred.
 
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Dead ball after the play. Mark the yardage. Defense gets the ball, 1st and 10.
Technically when the ball was downed the series ended as a turnover in downs. Then a foul occurred.
Thanks; that's what I thought, but the officials treated it like a continuation of the 4th down play. BTW, this was about 15 years ago at an Alcoa game.
 
Thanks; that's what I thought, but the officials treated it like a continuation of the 4th down play. BTW, this was about 15 years ago at an Alcoa game.
It happens. Apparently the coaches didn’t know either. They can always call a timeout and discuss the application of a rule.

I can tell you I worked a TV game one night, it was 2nd or 3rd down. We had a late hit after the play, we marked 15, and replayed the down. A few plays later a couple of us realized our mistake. At that point it was too late. Once again, nothing was said by anyone that stopped it before it was too late. Needless to say, we didn’t make that mistake again. It’s crazy, there is always something here and there each year that would stick out to you and you would do it different the next time where you learned from that moment. This could be a rule application or something you called or didn’t call.
 
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