ASK THE OFFICIAL: MARCH 2009

March 27, 2009

When can a receiver start to block on a passing play? Often times on a wide receiver screen, it appears that the receiver starts blocking while the ball is still in the air. Why isn't that the same as an illegal pick? – Andrew W.

Sorry for any delay in responding. Restrictions on blocking by the offensive team during a play in which a forward pass is thrown extend from the time that the ball is snapped until the pass is touched by any player. As such, a receiver can not legally block a defensive palyer until the ball is touched by a defensive player or a team mate. However, offensive linemen may move beyond the line of scrimmage as soon as the ball is released as long as they do not make contact with a defensive player until the ball is touched. What you may see is the offensive linemen moving downfield as the ball is thrown. But if there is contact, it is Offensive Pass Interference.   

If a quarterback hands the ball off to a running back, IN FRONT OF HIM, not behind him, is it legal for that team to then run a flea-flicker with the quarterback throwing a pass after receiving the pitch back from the running back? So to better describe it. Say it's a Shotgun formation, Running back Left. Ball is snapped to the QB, RB goes from Lt to Rt, in front of the QB, and recieves a handoff, then prior to crossing the line of scrimmage, throws back to the QB, who then proceeds to make a forward pass downfield to a receiver. Is that legal? Or...is the handoff considered a forward pass because it is in front of the QB? – Shaun M.

By definition, a pass is "the movement of the ball caused by handing, throwing, shoving, or pushing" of the ball by the player in possession. (Rule 3-22-1) As such, in the scenario you pose, the handing of the ball forward by the QB in a short punt or "shotgun" formation constitutes the first "forward pass." If the ball is subsequently tossed back to the QB (or any player) and a second forward pass is thrown, it is a foul for a second forward pass. This is the reason that you only see the "flea flicker" play when the QB is under center at the start of the play.   

March 19, 2009
What's the call if the QB fumbles the ball on his own 1 yard line, the defense in trying to recover the fumble knocks it into the end zone and an offensive player falls on it? – Jay B.

If the ball continued to roll while the defense tried to pick it up, the impetus that put the ball into the end zone is still considered to be the fumble and as such, it would be a safety. If the ball had come to a stop or a virtual stop and the defense imparted a new impetus that put the ball into the end zone, it would be a touchback. In most such situations, it is a safety.  

March 3, 2009

Pardons if someone has asked this. I've heard much about Kurt Warner taking off his helmet when he argued his to sack/fumbles. Should there have been flags on these two plays? – Walt O.

It has been so long since the Super Bowl that I do not have an exact recollection of the actions by Warner following the two plays that you mention. Technically, any time a player takes his helmet off on the field (other than during a time-out or other situation allowed by the rules) it should be an Unsportsmanlike Conduct foul. However, if the Referee has already signaled a time-out for a commercial (in both instances, as I remember, there was a turnover so it would be an automatic time-out), a player is allowed to take their helmet off. Secondly, Warner is a Captain for the Cardinals and as such is allowed to talk to the Referee and as long as the conversation is amicable, the officials will always cut the player some slack in situations like this. The one thing that I can tell you is that any action by Warner was not as egregious as the action by Holmes after he caught the final TD pass, and they missed that one as well.

It should be remembered that the purpose of the rule is to stop players from demonstrating anger, frustration and/or calling attention to themselves. In Warner's case, if and when he took his helmet off, I doubt that he did it in a manner that fit any of these descriptions. So he was not flagged. Sometimes the officials use common sense when enforcing the rules and I believe that this was one such time.