By Referee – September 25, 2021
Change of possession. Foul in the end zone. Fumble forward and out of bounds.
That’s a lot of action on a single play. And it gives a crew a lot to consider. But by slowing down and thinking it through, the officials will come up with the correct solution.
As seen in the MechaniGram, B1 intercepts A1’s pass at his own six yardline. B1 retreats into his own end zone, but before he can bring the ball across the goalline, his facemask is grabbed and twisted by A2. B1 fumbles and the ball rolls out of bounds at team B’s three yardline.
Momentum is not involved because the pass was intercepted outside team B’s five yardline and B1 ran into his end zone on his own volition. The fumble means the related run ended in team B’s end zone. Since the team in possession was responsible for the force (NFHS) or impetus (NCAA) that put the ball into the end zone, the basic spot for enforcing the penalty is team B’s goalline (NFHS 10-5-2; NCAA 10-2-2d-2b).
Once team B accepts the penalty, it will start a new series from its own 15 yardline.
