Getting Started Basics of Football and Understanding Film

Question
I'm basically an avid football fan that watches on TV and goes to a few games per year but I really want to start watching the way an analyst or coach would watch the game as I know they see things much different.  What's the best way to be able to started with that?  

Also, I'd be very interested in watching and understanding film.  Since I'm not a coach where can I start with just doing it on my own as a hobby?

Answer
Bill,

I am not sure how to answer this question, I have spent a few hours thinking about my reply and truly I'd need to sit down with you and try to findout your level of knowledge and experience before being able to give you the answer I think you want...  I really need to know your ability to read keys, formations, etc.  I am going to suggest two things for your first, they seem simple but they are the foundation to viewing film from a technical standpoint.  Don't get discouraged at first if you don't see things. Rewind and watch it again.  I hate to say that but that is what we do when we week in and week out.

First, learning to understanding film, you need towarch lots of it, in slow motion, forward backward, frame by frame, etc.  The reason for this is to watch the steps players take, what they do with their heads and shoulders.  This is the first way you learn to "read Keys" on film.  Second you should know the formations and beable to identify the formations and know the plays/defenses that are run from the formation.  These two steps are a lot I know but it is the foundation of learning to watch, understand and analyze film.  Start by trying this and see how much more you realize goes on when watching a game.  Don't get discourage, Coaches, Analysts, officials, players have logged hundreds and thousands of hours of film and to get to a point where we are able to watch film in a technical manner.

Other thins that will help:

Find a rule book and read Rule 2.  Master Rule two (Definition); I promise it will help.

Some other of the basic guidelines and vocab of football you should know.  It is elementary but not sure of your background or level.:
 
The sport is played on a grass field, about 120 yards long and about 53 yards wide. The players wear protective equipment, including a helmet with facemask, shoulder pads, thigh pads, and often a mouth guard. At both ends of the field there are endzones. Each team with 11 players on a side, has four chances to advance the ball 10 yards. If they can advance the ball 10 or more yards until stopped by the opposing team. Teams can score by advancing the ball by either certain players carrying it or throwing it and advance it to the other teams endzone, or kicking it through a goalpost. American football is carefully regulated by time, and rules, enforced by officials, who also determine when a team scores. The main leagues that play Amerian Football are the National Football League, and the National College Athletic Association Football.

SCORES:
TD - 6 points (2 point TD if run back by defense on PAT)
Field goal - 3 points
Safety 2 points (1 point if on a PAT)
PAT or Point after TD - 1 point if kicked or 2 points if run/passed in The object of American football is to score more points than the opposing team within the time limit.

Field and players
The numbers on the field indicate the number of yards to the nearest end zone.American football is played on a field 360 feet (120 yards/109.7 m) long by 160 feet (53.3 yards/48.8 m) wide. The longer boundary lines are sidelines, while the shorter boundary lines are end lines. Near each end of the field is a goal line; they are 100 yards (91.4 m) apart. A scoring area called an end zone extends 10 yards (9.1 m) beyond each goal line to each end line.

Yard lines cross the field every 5 yards (4.6 m), and are numbered every 10 yards from each goal line to the 50-yard line, or midfield (similar to a typical rugby league field). Two rows of lines, known as inbounds lines or hash marks, parallel the sidelines near the middle of the field. All plays start with the ball on or between the hash marks.

At the back of each end zone are two goalposts (also called uprights) that are 18.5 feet (5.6 m) apart (24 feet (7.3 m) in high school). The posts are connected by a crossbar 10 feet (305 cm) from the ground.

Each team has 11 players on the field at a time. However, teams may substitute for any or all of their players, if time allows, during the break between plays. As a result, players have very specialized roles, and, sometimes (although rarely) almost all of the (at least) 46 active players on an NFL team will play in any given game. Thus, teams are divided into three separate units: the offense, the defense and the special teams.

Start of halves
Similar to association football, the game begins with a coin toss to determine who will kick off to begin the games and which goal each team will defend. The options will be presented again to start the second half; the choices for the first half do not automatically determine the start of the second half. The referee will conduct the coin toss with the captains (or sometimes coaches) of the opposing teams. The team that wins the coin toss has three options:

They may choose to either receive the opening kickoff or to kick off
They may choose which goal to defend
They may choose to defer the first choice to the other team and have first choice to start the second half (except in the NFL)[8]
Whatever the first team chooses, the second team has the option on the other choice (for example, if the first team elects to receive at the start of the game, the second team can decide which goal to defend).

At the start of the second half, the options to kick, receive, or choose a goal to defend are presented to the captains again. The team which did not choose first to start the first half (or which deferred its privilege to choose first) now gets first choice of options.[9]

Advancing the ball in American football resembles the six-tackle rule and the play-the-ball in rugby league. The team that takes possession of the ball (the offense) has four attempts, called downs, to advance the ball 10 yards (9.1 m) towards their opponent's (the defense's) end zone. When the offense gains 10 yards, it gets a first down, which means the team has another set of four downs to gain yet another 10 yards or score with. If the offense fails to gain a first down (10 yards) after 4 downs, the other team gets possession of the ball at the spot of the football, beginning with their first down.

Except at the beginning of halves and after scores, the ball is always put into play by a snap. Offensive players line up facing defensive players at the line of scrimmage (the position on the field where the play begins). One offensive player, the center, then passes (or "snaps") the ball between his legs to a teammate, usually the quarterback.

Players can then advance the ball in two ways:

By running with the ball, also known as rushing. One ball-carrier can hand the ball to another player or throw backwards to another player. These are known as a handoff and a backward pass (sometimes referred to as a lateral) respectively.
By throwing the ball to a teammate, known as a forward pass or as passing the football. The forward pass is a key factor distinguishing American and Canadian football from other football sports. The offense can throw the ball forward only once during a down and only from behind the line of scrimmage. The ball can be thrown, pitched, handed-off, or tossed sideways or backwards at any time.
A down ends, and the ball becomes dead, after any of the following:

The player with the ball is forced to the ground (tackled) or has his forward progress halted by members of the other team (as determined by an official).
A forward pass flies beyond the dimensions of the field (out of bounds) or touches the ground before it is caught. This is known as an incomplete pass. The ball is returned to the most recent line of scrimmage for the next down.
The ball or the player with the ball goes out of bounds.
A team scores.
Officials blow a whistle to notify players that the down is over.

Before each down, each team chooses a play, or coordinated movements and actions, that the players should follow on a down. Sometimes, downs themselves are referred to as "plays."


Change of possession
The offense maintains possession of the ball unless one of the following things occurs:

The team fails to get a first down?i.e., in four downs they fail to move the ball past a line 10 yards ahead of where they got their last first down (it is possible to be downed behind the current line of scrimmage, "losing yardage"). The defensive team takes over the ball at the spot where the 4th-down play ends. A change of possession in this manner is commonly called a turnover on downs, but is not credited as a defensive "turnover" in official statistics. Instead, it goes against the offense's 4th down efficiency percentage.
The offense scores a touchdown or field goal. The team that scored then kicks the ball to the other team in a special play called a kickoff.
The offense punts the ball to the defense. A punt is a kick in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it hits the ground. Punts are nearly always made on fourth down (though see quick kick), when the offensive team does not want to risk giving up the ball to the other team at its current spot on the field (through a failed attempt to make a first down) and feels it is too far from the other team's goal posts to attempt a field goal.
A defensive player catches a forward pass. This is called an interception, and the player who makes the interception can run with the ball until he is tackled, forced out of bounds, or scores.
An offensive player drops the ball (a fumble) and a defensive player picks it up. As with interceptions, a player recovering a fumble can run with the ball until tackled or forced out of bounds. Backward passes that are not caught do not cause the down to end like incomplete forward passes do; instead the ball is still live as if it had been fumbled. Lost fumbles and interceptions are together known as turnovers
The offensive team misses a field goal attempt. The defensive team gets the ball at the spot where the previous play began (or, in the NFL, at the spot of the kick). If the unsuccessful kick was attempted from within 20 yards (18.3 m) of the end zone, the other team gets the ball at its own 20 yard line (that is, 20 yards from the end zone). If a field goal is missed and the ball remains in the field of play, a defensive player may also catch the ball and attempt to advance it.
In his own end zone, an offensive ballcarrier is tackled, forced out of bounds or loses the ball out of bounds, or the offense commits certain penalties. This fairly rare occurrence is called a safety.
An offensive ballcarrier fumbles the ball forward into the end zone, and then the ball goes out of bounds. This extremely rare occurrence leads to a touchback, with the ball going over to the opposing team at their 20 yard line. (Note that touchbacks during non-offensive special teams plays, such as punts and kickoffs, are quite common.)

Scoring

A kicker attempts an extra point.A team scores points by the following plays:

A touchdown (TD) is worth 6 points. It is scored when a player runs the ball into or catches a pass in his opponent's end zone. A touchdown is analogous to a try in rugby with the major difference being that a try requires the player to place the ball on the ground.
After a touchdown, the scoring team attempts a conversion (which is also analogous to the conversion in rugby). The ball is placed at the other team's 3-yard (2.7 m) line (the 2-yard (1.8 m) line in the NFL). The team can attempt to kick it over the crossbar and through the goal posts in the manner of a field goal for 1 point (an extra point or point-after touchdown (PAT)[10]), or run or pass it into the end zone in the manner of a touchdown for 2 points (a two-point conversion). In college football, if the defense intercepts or recovers a fumble during a two point conversion attempt and returns it to the opposing end zone, the defensive team is awarded the two points.
A field goal (FG) is worth 3 points, and it is scored by kicking the ball over the crossbar and through the goal posts (uprights). Field goals may be placekicked (kicked when the ball is held vertically against the ground by a teammate) or drop-kicked (extremely uncommon in the modern game, with only two successes in the last 60 years). A field goal is usually attempted on fourth down instead of a punt when the ball is close to the opponent's goal line, or, when there is little or no time left to otherwise score.
A safety, worth 2 points, is scored by the defense when a ball-carrier is tackled in his own end zone. Safeties are also awarded if the offense fumbles the ball out-of-bounds in the end zone, has a kick blocked out of the end zone or commits certain penalties in the end zone. Safeties are relatively rare.

Kickoffs and free kicks
Each half begins with a kickoff. Teams also kick off after scoring touchdowns and field goals. The ball is kicked using a kicking tee from the team's own 30-yard (27 m) line in the NFL and college football (as of the 2007 season). The other team's kick returner tries to catch the ball and advance it as far as possible. Where he is stopped is the point where the offense will begin its drive, or series of offensive plays. If the kick returner catches the ball in his own end zone, he can either run with the ball, or elect for a touchback by kneeling in the end zone, in which case the receiving team then starts its offensive drive from its own 20 yard line. A touchback also occurs when the kick goes out-of-bounds in the end zone. A kickoff that goes out-of-bounds anywhere other than the end zone before being touched by the receiving team is considered an illegal procedure penalty, and the ball will be placed where it went out of bounds or 30 yards (27 m) from the kickoff spot, depending on which is more advantageous to the opposite team. Unlike with punts, once a kickoff goes 10 yards, it can be recovered by the kicking team. A team, especially one who is losing, can try to take advantage of this by attempting an onside kick. Punts and turnovers in the end zone can also end in a touchback.

After safeties, the team that gave up the points must free kick the ball to the other team from its own 20 yard line.


Penalties
For a complete list of penalties, see American football rules
Fouls (a type of rule violation) are punished with penalties against the offending team. Most penalties result in moving the football towards the offending team's end zone. If the penalty would move the ball more than half the distance towards the offender's end zone, the penalty becomes half the distance to the goal instead of its normal value.

Most penalties result in replaying the down. Some defensive penalties give the offense an automatic first down. Conversely, some offensive penalties result in loss of a down (loss of the right to repeat the down). If a penalty gives the offensive team enough yardage to gain a first down, they get a first down, as usual.

If a foul occurs during a down, an official throws a yellow flag near the spot of the foul. When the down ends, the team that did not commit the foul has the option of accepting the penalty, or declining the penalty and accepting the result of the down.

A few of the most-common fouls include:

False start: An offensive player illegally moves after lining up for--but prior to--the snap. Since the ball is dead, the down is not allowed to begin.
Offside: A defensive or offensive player is on the wrong side of the ball when the ball is snapped. This foul occurs simultaneously with the snap.
Holding: Illegally grasping or pulling an opponent other than the runner.
Pass interference: Illegally contacting an opponent to prevent him from catching a forward pass.
Delay of game: Failing to begin a new play after a certain time from the end of the last one.
Face mask: Grasping the face mask of another player while attempting to block or tackle him.
Illegal block in the back: A blocker contacting a member of the opposing team (who is not the runner) in the back and above the waist.
Clipping: A blocker contacting an opponent (who is not the runner) from behind and at or below the waist.
Under certain circumstances clipping and blocking in the back are legal.

Offense
The offensive line (OL) consists of five players whose job is to protect the passer and clear the way for runners by blocking members of the defense. The lineman in the middle is the Center. Outside the Center are the Guards, and outside them are the Tackles. Except for the center, who snaps the ball to one of the backs, offensive linemen generally do not handle the ball.
The quarterback (QB) receives the snap from the center on most plays. He then hands or tosses it to a running back, throws it to a receiver or runs with it himself. The quarterback is the leader of the offense and calls the plays that are signaled to him from the sidelines.
Running backs (RB) line up behind or beside the QB and specialize in running with the ball. They also block, catch passes and, on rare occasions, pass the ball to others or even receive the snap. If a team has two running backs in the game, usually one will be a halfback (HB) or tailback (TB), who is more likely to run with the ball, and the other will usually be a fullback (FB), who is more likely to block.
Wide receivers (WR) line up near the sidelines. They specialize in catching passes, though they also block for running plays or downfield after another receiver makes a catch.
Tight ends (TE) line up outside the offensive line. They can either play like wide receivers (catch passes) or like offensive linemen (protect the QB or create spaces for runners). Sometimes an offensive lineman takes the tight end position and is referred to as a tackle eligible.[11]
At least seven players must line up on the line of scrimmage on every offensive play. The other players may line up anywhere behind the line. The exact number of running backs, wide receivers and tight ends may differ on any given play. For example, if the team needs only 1 yard, it may use three tight ends, two running backs and no wide receivers. On the other hand, if it needs 20 yards, it may replace all of its running backs and tight ends with wide receivers.


Defense
In contrast to members of the offense, the rules of professional football (NFL Rulebook) and American college football NCAA Rulebook) do not specify starting position, movement, or coverage zones for members of the defensive team, except that they must be in the defensive zone at the start of play. The positions, movements and responsibilities of all defensive players are assigned by the team by selection of certain coverages, or patterns of placement and assignment of responsibilities. The positional roles are customary. These roles have varied over the history of American football. The following are customary defensive positions used in many coverages in modern American football.

The defensive line consists of three to six players who line up immediately across from the offensive line. They try to occupy the offensive linemen in order to free up the linebackers, wreck the backfield of the offense, and tackle the running back if he has the ball before he can gain yardage or the quarterback before he can throw or pass the ball. They are the first line of defense.
Behind the defensive line are the linebackers. They line up between the defensive line and defensive backs and may either rush the quarterback or cover potential receivers. Their main job is to cover the run up the middle.
The last line of defense is known as the secondary, comprising at least three players who line up as defensive backs, which are either cornerbacks or safeties. They cover the receivers and try to stop pass completions. They occasionally rush the quarterback. However, this leaves the field wide open for passing.

Special teams
The units of players who handle kicking plays are known as special teams. Three important special-teams players are the punter, who handles punts, the placekicker or kicker, who kicks off and attempts field goals and extra points, and the long snapper, who snaps the ball for extra points, field goals, and punts. Also included on special teams are the returners. These players return punts or kickoffs and try to get in good field position. These players can also score touchdowns.


Uniform numbering
In the NFL, ranges of uniform numbers are (usually) reserved for certain positions:

1?: Quarterbacks, kickers, and punters
10?9: Quarterbacks, kickers, punters, and wide receivers
20?9: Running backs and defensive backs
50?9: Centers and linebackers
60?9: Offensive and defensive linemen
80?9: Wide receivers and tight ends
90?9: Defensive linemen and linebackers
NCAA and high school rules specify only that offensive linemen must have numbers in the 50-79 range, but the NCAA "strongly recommends" that quarterbacks and running backs have numbers below 50 and wide receivers numbers above 79. This helps officials as it means that numbers 50 to 79 are ineligible receivers, or players that may never receive a forward pass. There are no numbering restrictions on defensive players in the NCAA, other than that no two players with the same jersey number can be on the field at the same time.


Basic strategy
Main article: American football strategy
Because the game stops after every down, giving teams a chance to call a new play, strategy plays a major role in football. Each team has a playbook of dozens to hundreds of plays. Ideally, each play is a scripted, strategically sound team-coordinated endeavor. Some plays are very safe; they are likely to get only a few yards. Other plays have the potential for long gains but at a greater risk of a loss of yardage or a turnover.

Generally speaking, rushing plays are less risky than passing plays. However, there are relatively safe passing plays and risky running plays. To deceive the other team, some passing plays are designed to resemble running plays and vice versa. These are referred to as play-action passes and draws. There are many trick or gadget plays, such as when a team lines up as if it intends to punt and then tries to run or pass for a first down. Such high-risk plays are a great thrill to the fans when they work. However, they can spell disaster if the opposing team realizes the deception and acts accordingly.

The defense also plans plays in response to expectations of what the offense will do. For example, a "blitz" (using linebackers or defensive backs to charge the quarterback) is often attempted when the team on defense expects a pass. A blitz makes downfield passing more difficult but exposes the defense to big gains if the offensive line stems the rush.

Many hours of preparation and strategizing, including film review by both players and coaches, go into the days between football games. This, along with the demanding physicality of football (see below), is why teams typically play at most one game per week.

Physicality
A halfback leads fellow backs through an agility drill at the Air Force AcademyAmerican football is a collision sport. To stop the offense from advancing the ball, the defense must tackle the player with the ball by knocking or pulling him down. As such, defensive players must use some form of physical contact to bring the ball-carrier to the ground, within certain rules and guidelines. Tacklers cannot kick or punch the runner. They also cannot grab the face mask of the runner's helmet or lead into a tackle with their own helmet. Despite these and other rules regarding unnecessary roughness, most other forms of tackling are legal. Blockers and defenders trying to evade them also have wide leeway in trying to force their opponents out of the way. Quarterbacks are regularly hit by defenders coming on full speed from outside the quarterback's field of vision. This is commonly known as a blindside.

To compensate for this, players must wear special protective equipment, such as a padded plastic helmet, shoulder pads, hip pads and knee pads. These protective pads were introduced decades ago and have improved ever since to help minimize lasting injury to players. An unintended consequence of all the safety equipment has resulted in increasing levels of violence in the game. Players may now hurl themselves at one another at high speeds without a significant chance of injury. The injuries that do result tend to be severe and often season or career-ending and sometimes fatal. In previous years with less padding, tackling more closely resembled tackles in Rugby football. Better helmets have allowed players to use their helmets as weapons. This form of tackling is particularily unwise, due to the great potential for brain or spinal injury. All this has caused the various leagues, especially the NFL, to implement a complicated series of penalties for various types of contact. Most recently, virtually any contact with the helmet of a defensive player on the quarterback, or any contact to the quarterback's head, is now a foul.

Despite protective equipment and rule changes to emphasize safety, injuries remain very common in football. It is increasingly rare, for example, for NFL quarterbacks or running backs (who take the most direct hits) to make it through an entire season without missing some time to injury. Additionally, 28 football players, mostly high schoolers, died from direct football injuries in the years 2000-05 and an additional 68 died indirectly from dehydration or other examples of "non-physical" dangers, according to the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research.[12] Concussions are common, with about 41,000 suffered every year among high school players according to the Brain Injury Association of Arizona.[13]

Extra and optional equipment such as neck rolls, spider pads, rib protectors, and elbow pads help against injury as well, though they do not tend to be used by the majority of players due to their lack of requirement.

The danger of football and the equipment required to reduce it make regulation football impractical for casual play. Flag football and touch football are less violent variants of the game popular among recreational players.

Notes
1^ In North America, the term "football" may refer to either American football or to the similar sport of Canadian football, the meaning usually being clear from the context. This article describes the American variant.
2^ Technically, the ball is a prolate spheroid. See 2006 NCAA Football Rules and Interpretations, Sec. 1, Art. 1
3^ "gridiron." The American Heritage?Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 01 Oct. 2007. [1].
4^ Camp and His Followers: American Football 1876?889. The Journey to Camp: The Origins of American Football to 1889. Professional Football Researchers Association. Retrieved on 2007-05-16.
5^ The History of Football. The History of Sports. Saperecom (2007). Retrieved on 2007-05-15.
6^ NFL History 1869?910. NFL.com. NFL Enterprises LLC (2007). Retrieved on 2007-05-15.
7^ NFL:America's Choice (PDF). National Football League (2007). Retrieved on 2007-08-15.
8^ Coin Toss. NFL Rules Digest. NFL Enterprises LLC (2007). Retrieved on 2008-01-09.
9^ 2005 Rules and Interpretations. National Collegiate Athletic Association (2005). Retrieved on 2008-01-09.
10^ (1 October 2007) 2007 Official Rules of the NFL. Triumph Books. ISBN 1699780288.  
11^ Member - Pro Football Hall of Fame
12^ Annual Survey of Football Injury Research 1931 - 2005, National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research. Updated January 18, 2006. Accessed October 31, 2006
13 Studies Suggest 10% of Arizona High School Football Players Will Suffer a Concussion During This Coming Season PR Newswire press release from the Brain Injury Association of Arizona, August 23, 2005. Accessed October 31, 2006

Go to the following site for information and diagrams:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_football


2008 NCAA RULE 2
Definitions
SECTION 1. Approved Rulings and
Official抯 Signals
ARTICLE 1. a. An approved ruling (A.R.) is an official decision on a given statement of facts. It serves to illustrate the spirit and application of the rules.
The relationship between the rules and an approved ruling is analogous to that between statutory law and a decision of the Supreme Court. If there is a conflict between the official rules and approved rulings, the rules take precedence.
b. An official抯 signal [S] refers to the Official Football Signals 1 through 47.
SECTION 2. The Ball: Live, Dead, Loose
Live Ball
ARTICLE 1. A live ball is a ball in play. A pass, kick or fumble that has not yet touched the ground is a live ball in flight.
Dead Ball
ARTICLE 2. A dead ball is a ball not in play.
Loose Ball
ARTICLE 3. a. A loose ball is a live ball not in player possession during:
1. A running play.
2. A scrimmage or free kick before possession is gained or regained or the ball is dead by rule.
3. The interval after a legal forward pass is touched and before it
becomes complete, incomplete or intercepted. (Note: This interval
is during a forward pass play, and the ball may be batted in any
direction by a player eligible to touch it.)
Rule 2-2 / Definitions FR -41
b. All players are eligible to touch, catch or recover a ball that is loose from a fumble (Exceptions: Rules 7-2-2-a-2, 7-2-2-b-2 and 8-3-2-d-5) or a backward pass, but eligibility to touch a ball loose from a kick is governed by kick rules (Rule 6) and eligibility to touch a forward pass is governed by pass rules (Rule 7).
When Ball Is Ready for Play
ARTICLE 4. A dead ball is ready for play when:
a. With the 40-second play clock running, an official places the ball at an inbounds mark or between the inbounds marks and steps away to his position.
b. With the play clock set at 25 seconds, the referee sounds his whistle and either signals to start the game clock [S2] or signals that the ball is ready for play [S1]. (A.R. 4-1-4-I and II)
In Possession
ARTICLE 5. 揑n possession拻 is an abbreviation meaning the holding or
controlling of a live ball or a ball to be free-kicked.
a. A player 揼ains possession拻 when he is firmly holding or controlling the ball while contacting the ground inbounds.
b. A team is 搃n possession拻 when one of its players is 搃n possession拻 or attempting a punt, drop kick or place kick; while a forward pass thrown by one of its players is in flight; or one of its players was last in possession during a loose ball.
Belongs To
ARTICLE 6. 揃elongs to,拻 as contrasted with 搃n possession,拻 denotes temporary custody of a dead ball. Legality of such custody is immaterial because the ball must next be put in play in accordance with rules governing the existing situation.
Catch, Interception, Recovery
ARTICLE 7. A catch is an act of firmly establishing player possession of a live ball in flight.
a. A catch of an opponent抯 fumble or pass is an interception.
b. Securing player possession of a live ball after it strikes the ground is 搑ecovering it.拻
FR-42 R ule 2-2 / Definitions
c. To catch, intercept or recover a ball, a player who leaves his feet to make a catch, interception or recovery must have the ball firmly in his possession when he first returns to the ground inbounds with any part ofhis body or is so held that the dead-ball provisions of Rule 4-1-3-p apply (A.R. 2-2-7-I-V and A.R. 7-3-6-IV).
1. If one foot first lands inbounds and the receiver has possession
and control of the ball, it is a catch or interception even though a
subsequent step or fall takes the receiver out of bounds.
2. Loss of ball simultaneous to returning to the ground is not a catch, interception or recovery.
d. A catch by any kneeling or prone inbounds player is a completion or interception (Rules 7-3-1 and 2 and 7-3-6 and 7).
e. When in question, the catch, recovery or interception is not completed.
Simultaneous Catch or Recovery
ARTICLE 8. A simultaneous catch or recovery is a catch or recovery in
which there is joint possession of a live ball by opposing players inbounds
(A.R. 7-3-6-II and III).
SECTION 3. Blocking
Blocking
ARTICLE 1. a. Blocking is obstructing an opponent by contacting him with any part of the blocker抯 body.
b. Pushing is blocking an opponent with open hands.
Below Waist
ARTICLE 2. a. Blocking below the waist is the initial contact below the waist with any part of the blocker抯 body against an opponent, other than the runner. When in question, the contact is below the waist (Rule 9-1-2-e).
b. Blocking below the waist applies to the initial contact by a blocker against an opponent who has one or both feet on the ground. A blocker who makes contact above the waist and then slides below the waist has not blocked below the waist. If the blocker first contacts the opposing player抯 hands at the waist or above, it is a legal 揳bove the waist拻 block
(Rule 9-1-2-e).
RULE 2-3 / DEFINITIONS FR -43
Chop Block
ARTICLE 3. A chop block is a high-low or low-high combination block by any two players against an opponent (not the runner) anywhere on the field, with or without a delay between contacts; the 搇ow?component is at the opponent抯 thigh or below (A.R. 2-3-3-III and IV).
Block in the Back
ARTICLE 4. a. A block in the back is contact against an opponent occurringwhen the force of the initial contact is from behind and above the waist (Exception: Against the runner). When in question, the contact is below the
waist (Rule 9-3-3-c) (A.R. 9-1-2-XX and XXI, A.R. 9-3-3-VII, and A.R.
10-2-2-XXXIV).
b. The position of the blocker抯 head or feet does not necessarily indicate the point of initial contact.
Frame (of the Body)
ARTICLE 5. The frame of a player抯 body is at the shoulders or below other than the back [Rule 9-3-3-a-1-(c) Exception].
SECTION 4. Clipping
ARTICLE 1. a. Clipping is a block against an opponent occurring when
the force of the initial contact is from behind and at or below the waist (Exception: Against the runner) (Rule 9-1-2-d).
b. The position of the blocker抯 head or feet does not necessarily indicate the point of initial contact.
SECTION 5. Deliberate Dead-Ball Advance
ARTICLE 1. Deliberately advancing a dead ball is an attempt by a player
to advance the ball after any part of his person, other than a hand or foot,
has touched the ground or after the ball has been declared dead by rule
(Exception: Rule 4-1-3-b Exception).
SECTION 6. Down and Between Downs
ARTICLE 1. A down is a unit of the game that starts with a legal snap or
legal free kick after the ball is ready for play and ends when the ball next
becomes dead. Between downs is the interval during which the ball is dead.
FR-44 RULE 2-6 / DEFINITIONS
[Exception: The try is a scrimmage down that begins when the referee
declares the ball ready for play (Rule 8-3-2-b).]
SECTION 7. Fair Catch
Fair Catch
ARTICLE 1. a. A fair catch of a scrimmage kick is a catch beyond the
neutral zone by a player of Team B who has made a valid signal during a
scrimmage kick that is untouched beyond the neutral zone.
b. A fair catch of a free kick is a catch by a player of Team B who has made
a valid signal during an untouched free kick.
c. A valid or invalid fair catch signal deprives the receiving team of the
opportunity to advance the ball, and the ball is declared dead at the spot
of the catch or recovery or at the spot of the signal if the catch precedes
the signal (Rule 6-5-1-a Exception).
d. If the receiver shades his eyes from the sun, the ball is live and may be
advanced.
Valid Signal
ARTICLE 2. A valid signal is a signal given by a player of Team B who
has obviously signalled his intention by extending one hand only clearly
above his head and waving that hand from side to side of his body more
than once.
Invalid Signal
ARTICLE 3. An invalid signal is any signal by a player of Team B that does
not meet the requirements of a valid signal (Rule 6-5-3).
SECTION 8. Forward, Beyond and
Forward Progress
Forward, Beyond
ARTICLE 1. Forward, beyond or in advance of, as related to either team,
denotes direction toward the opponent抯 end line. Converse terms are
backward or behind.
RULE 2-8 / DEFINITIONS FR -45
Forward Progress
ARTICLE 2. Forward progress is a term indicating the end of advancement
by the ball carrier or airborne pass receiver of either team and applies to the
position of the ball when it became dead by rule (Rules 4-1-3-a, b and p;
Rules 4-2-1 and 4; and Rule 5-1-3-a Exception) (A.R. 5-1-3-I-VI and A.R.
8-2-1-I-IV) (Exception: Rule 8-5-1-a, A.R. 8-5-1-I).
SECTION 9. Foul and Violation
ARTICLE 1. a. A foul is a rule infraction for which a penalty is prescribed. A flagrant personal foul is a rule infraction so extreme or deliberate that it places an opponent in danger of catastrophic injury.
b. A violation is a rule infraction for which no penalty is rescribed; it does not offset a foul.
SECTION 10. Fumbling, Muffing, Batting,
Touching or Blocking a Kick
Fumble
ARTICLE 1. A fumble is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession (A.R. 2-19-2-I, A.R. 4-1-3-I and A.R. 7-2-2-I).
Muff
ARTICLE 2. A muff is an unsuccessful attempt to catch or recover a ball that is touched in the attempt.
Batting
ARTICLE 3. Batting the ball is intentionally striking it or intentionally changing its direction with the hands or arms.
Touching
ARTICLE 4. Touching of a ball not in player possession denotes any contact with the ball (Exceptions: Rules 6-1-4-a and b and 6-3-4-a and b). It may be intentional or unintentional, and it always precedes possession and control. Intentional touching is deliberate or intended touching. When in question, a ball has not been touched on a kick or forward pass.

Blocking a Scrimmage Kick
ARTICLE 5. Blocking a scrimmage kick is touching the ball by an opponent of the kicking team in an attempt to prevent the ball from advancing beyond the neutral zone (Rule 6-3-1-b).
SECTION 11. Lines
Goal Lines
ARTICLE 1. Each goal line is part of a vertical plane separating an end zone
from the field of play when the ball is touched or is in player possession. The plane extends beyond the sidelines (Exception: Rule 4-2-4-e). A team抯 goal line is that which it is defending (A.R. 2-11-1-I).
Restraining Lines
ARTICLE 2. A restraining line is part of a vertical plane when a ball istouched or is in possession. The plane extends beyond the sidelines (A.R.2-11-2-I).
Yard Lines
ARTICLE 3. A yard line is any line in the field of play parallel to the end lines. A team抯 own yard lines, marked or unmarked, are numbered consecutively from its own goal line to the 50-yard line.
Inbounds Lines (Hash Marks)
ARTICLE 4. The two inbounds lines are 60 feet from the sidelines. Inbounds lines and short yard-line extensions shall measure 24 inches in length.
Out of Bounds Lines
ARTICLE 5. The area enclosed by the sidelines and end lines is 搃n
bounds,拻 and the area surrounding and including the sidelines and end lines is 搊ut of bounds.拻
Nine-Yard Marks
ARTICLE 6. Nine-yard marks 12 inches in length, every 10 yards, shall be located nine yards from the sidelines. They are not required if the field is numbered according to Rule 1-2-1-i.
RULE 2-12 / DEFINITIONS FR -47
SECTION 12. Handing the Ball
ARTICLE 1. a. Handing the ball is transferring player possession from one teammate to another without throwing, fumbling or kicking it.
b. Except when permitted by rule, handing the ball forward to a teammate is illegal.
c. Loss of player possession by unsuccessful execution of attempted
handing is a fumble by the last player in possession [Exception: The
snap (Rule 2-23-1-c)].
d. A backward handoff occurs when the runner releases the ball before it is beyond the yard line where the runner is positioned.
SECTION 13. Huddle
ARTICLE 1. A huddle is two or more players grouped together after the ball is ready for play and before a snap or a free kick.
SECTION 14. Hurdling
ARTICLE 1. a. Hurdling is an attempt by a player to jump with one or both feet or knees foremost over an opponent who is still on his feet (Exception: The runner) (Rule 9-1-2-i).
b. 揙n his feet拻 means that no part of the opponent抯 body other than one or both feet is in contact with the ground.
c. Hurdling an offensive player before the snap is a dead-ball foul. This includes offensive players in a three- or four-point stance.
SECTION 15. Kicks
Legal and Illegal Kicks
ARTICLE 1. Kicking the ball is intentionally striking the ball with the knee, lower leg or foot. When in question, a ball is accidentally touched rather than intentionally kicked.
a. A legal kick is a punt, drop kick or place kick made according to the rules by a player of Team A before a change of team possession. Kicking the ball in any other manner is illegal (A.R. 6-1-2-I).
b. Any free kick or scrimmage kick continues to be a kick until it is caught or recovered by a player or becomes dead.
Punt
ARTICLE 2. A punt is a kick by a player who drops the ball and kicks it before it strikes the ground.
Drop Kick
ARTICLE 3. A drop kick is a kick by a player who drops the ball and kicks it as it touches the ground.
Place Kick
ARTICLE 4. a. A field goal place kick is a kick by a player of the team in possession while the ball is controlled on the ground by a teammate.
b. A free kick place kick is a kick by a player of the team in possession while the ball is positioned on a tee or the ground. It may be controlled by a teammate. The ball may be positioned on the ground and contacting
the tee.
c. A tee is a device that elevates the ball for kicking purposes. It may not elevate the ball抯 lowest point more than one inch above the ground (A.R. 2-15-4-I).
Free Kick
ARTICLE 5. a. A free kick is a kick by a player of the team in possession made under restrictions specified in Rules 4-1-4, 6-1-1 and 6-1-2.
b. A free kick after a safety may be a punt, drop kick or place kick.
Kickoff ARTICLE 6. A kickoff is a free kick that starts each half and follows each try or field goal (Exception: Extra periods). It must be a place kick or a drop kick.
Scrimmage Kick
ARTICLE 7. A scrimmage kick made in or behind the neutral zone is a legal kick by Team A during a scrimmage down before team possession changes. A scrimmage kick has crossed the neutral zone when it touches the ground, a player, an official or anything beyond the neutral zone (Exception: Rule
6-3-1-b) (A.R. 6-3-1-I-V).
RULE 2-15 / DEFINITIONS FR -49
Return Kick
ARTICLE 8. A return kick is a kick by a player of the team in possession after change of team possession during a down and is an illegal kick. It is a live-ball foul, and the ball becomes dead.
Field Goal Attempt
ARTICLE 9. A field goal attempt is a scrimmage kick. It may be a place kick or drop kick.
Scrimmage Kick Formation
ARTICLE 10. a. A scrimmage kick formation is a formation with at least one player seven yards or more behind the neutral zone, no player in position to receive a hand-to-hand snap from between the snapper抯 legs, and it is obvious that a kick may be attempted (A.R. 1-4-2-I and A.R. 9-1-2-XXII-XXIV).
b. If Team A is in a scrimmage kick formation at the snap, any action
by Team A during the down is deemed to be from a scrimmage kick
formation.
SECTION 16. Loss of a Down
ARTICLE 1. 揕oss of a down拻 is an abbreviation meaning 搇oss of the right to repeat a down.拻
SECTION 17. The Neutral Zone
ARTICLE 1. The neutral zone is the space between the two lines of
scrimmage extended to the sidelines and is the length of the ball. The neutral zone is established when the ball is ready for play and is resting on the ground with its long axis at right angles to the scrimmage line and parallel to the sidelines.
SECTION 18. Encroachment and Offside
Encroachment
ARTICLE 1. After the ball is ready for play, encroachment occurs when an offensive player is in or beyond the neutral zone after the snapper touches or simulates (hand[s] at or below his knees) touching the ball before the snap (Exception: When the ball is put in play, the snapper is not encroaching when he is in the neutral zone).

Offside
ARTICLE 2. a. After the ball is ready for play, offside occurs when a
defensive player is in or beyond the neutral zone when the ball is legally snapped, contacts an opponent beyond the neutral zone before the ball is snapped, contacts the ball before it is snapped, threatens an offensive lineman (who immediately reacts) before the ball is snapped, or is not behind his restraining line when the ball is legally free-kicked (Rule 7-1-5- a-2) (A.R. 7-1-3-VIII Note).
b. Offside occurs when players of the kicking team are not behind their restraining line when the ball is legally free-kicked (Exception: The
kicker and holder are not offside when they are beyond their restraining line).
SECTION 19. Passes
Passing
ARTICLE 1. Passing the ball is throwing it. A pass continues to be a pass until it is caught or intercepted by a player or the ball becomes dead.
Forward and Backward Pass
ARTICLE 2. a. A forward pass is determined by the point where the ball first strikes the ground, a player, an official or anything beyond the spot of the pass. All other passes are backward passes. When in question, it is a forward pass rather than a backward pass when thrown in or behind the neutral zone.
b. When a Team A player is holding the ball to pass it forward toward
the neutral zone, any intentional forward movement of his hand or arm
starts the forward pass. If a Team B player contacts the passer or ball   after forward movement begins and the ball leaves the passer抯 hand, a forward pass is ruled regardless of where the ball strikes the ground or a player (A.R. 2-19-2-I).
c. When in question, the ball is passed and not fumbled during an attempted forward pass.
d. A snap becomes a backward pass when the snapper releases the ball
(A.R. 2-23-1-I).
RULE 2-19 / DEFINITIONS FR -51
Crosses Neutral Zone
ARTICLE 3. a. A legal forward pass has crossed the neutral zone when it first strikes the ground, a player, an official or anything beyond the neutral zone inbounds. It has not crossed the neutral zone when it first strikes the ground, a player, an official or anything in or behind the neutral zone inbounds.
b. A player has crossed the neutral zone if his entire body has been beyond the neutral zone.
c. A legal forward pass is beyond or behind the neutral zone where it
crosses the sideline.
Catchable Forward Pass
ARTICLE 4. A catchable forward pass is an untouched legal forward
pass beyond the neutral zone to an eligible player who has a reasonable opportunity to catch the ball. When in question, a legal forward pass is catchable (A.R. 2-19-4-I and II and A.R. 7-3-8-XVIII).
SECTION 20. Penalty
ARTICLE 1. A penalty is a result imposed by rule against a team that has committed a foul and may include one or more of the following: loss of yardage, loss of down, automatic first down or disqualification.
SECTION 21. Scrimmage
Scrimmage
ARTICLE 1. A scrimmage play is the action between the two teams during a down that begins with a legal snap.
Scrimmage Line
ARTICLE 2. The scrimmage line for each team when the ball is ready for play is the yard line and its vertical plane that passes through the point of the ball nearest its own goal line and extends to the sidelines.
SECTION 22. Shift
ARTICLE 1. A shift is a simultaneous change of position by two or more offensive players after the ball is ready for play for a scrimmage and before the next snap (A.R. 7-1-3-II and III and A.R. 7-1-4-I-IV).
SECTION 23. Snapping the Ball
ARTICLE 1. a. Legally snapping the ball (a snap) is handing or passing it backward from its position on the ground with a quick and continuous motion of the hand or hands, the ball actually leaving the hand or hands in this motion (Rule 4-1-4).
b. The snap starts when the ball is moved legally and ends when the ball leaves the snapper抯 hands (A.R. 7-1-5-I-II).
c. If, during any backward motion of a legal snap, the ball slips from the snapper抯 hand, it becomes a backward pass and is in play (Rule 4-1-1).
d. While resting on the ground and before the snap, the long axis of the ball must be at right angles to the scrimmage line (Rule 7-1-3-a-1).
e. Unless moved in a backward direction, the movement of the ball doesnot start a legal snap. It is not a legal snap if the ball is first moved forward or lifted.
f. If the ball is touched by Team B during a legal snap, the ball remains dead and Team B is penalized. If the ball is touched by Team B during an illegal snap, the ball remains dead and Team A is penalized (A.R.7-1-5-I-II).
g. The snap need not be between the snapper抯 legs; but to be legal, it must be a quick and continuous backward motion.
h. The ball must be snapped on or between the inbounds lines.
i. The position of the ball at the snap (Rule 9-1-2-e) refers to an imaginary line through the ball parallel to the sidelines from end line to end line (A.R. 9-1-2-IV-XI).
SECTION 24. Spearing
ARTICLE 1. Spearing is the use of the helmet (including the face mask) in an attempt to punish an opponent.
SECTION 25. Spots
Enforcement Spot
ARTICLE 1. An enforcement spot is the point from which the penalty for a foul or violation is enforced.
RULE 2-25 / DEFINITIONS FR -53
Previous Spot
ARTICLE 2. The previous spot is the point from which the ball was last put in play.
Succeeding Spot
ARTICLE 3. The succeeding spot is the point at which the ball is next to be put in play.
Dead-Ball Spot
ARTICLE 4. The dead-ball spot is the point at which the ball became
dead.
Spot of the Foul
ARTICLE 5. The spot of the foul is the point at which that foul occurs. If out of bounds between the goal lines, it shall be the intersection of the nearer inbounds line and the yard line extended through the spot of the foul. If out of bounds between the goal line and the end line or behind the end line, the foul is in the end zone.
Out-of-Bounds Spot
ARTICLE 6. The out-of-bounds spot is the point at which, according to
the rule, the ball becomes dead because of going or being declared out of bounds.
Inbounds Spot
ARTICLE 7. The inbounds spot is the intersection of the nearer inbounds line and the yard line passing through the dead-ball spot, or the spot where the ball is left between an inbounds line and a sideline by a penalty.
Spot Where Run Ends
ARTICLE 8. The spot where the run ends is at that point:
a. Where the ball is declared dead in player possession.
b. Where player possession is lost on a fumble.
c. Where a legal (or illegal) handing of the ball occurs.
d. Where an illegal forward pass is thrown.
e. Where a backward pass is thrown.
f. Where an illegal scrimmage kick is made beyond the line of
scrimmage.
FR-54 RULE 2-25 / DEFINITIONS
g. Where a return kick occurs.
Spot Where Kick Ends
ARTICLE 9. A scrimmage kick that crosses the neutral zone ends at the spot where possession is gained or regained or the ball is declared dead by rule. Exceptions:
1. When a kick ends in Team B抯 end zone, the postscrimmage kick spot
is Team B抯 20-yard line.
2. On an unsuccessful field-goal attempt that has crossed the neutral
zone and is untouched by Team B after crossing the neutral zone and
declared dead beyond the neutral zone, the postscrimmage kick spot
is the previous spot. If the previous spot is between Team B抯 20-yard line and the goal line, and the unsuccessful field-goal attempt that has crossed the neutral zone and is untouched by Team B after crossing the neutral zone, and is declared dead beyond the neutral zone, the spot where the kick ends is the 20-yard line (A.R. 10-2-2-XXV).
3. When Rule 6-3-11 is in effect, the postscrimmage kick spot is the
20-yard line.
Basic Spot
ARTICLE 10. When 揵asic spot拻 is stated in a penalty, fouls during a
running play, a legal pass play or a legal kick play are penalized from the 揵asic spot.拻 Fouls by the offensive team behind the 揵asic spot拻 are enforced from the spot of the foul.
The following are the basic spots for enforcement on running plays,
forward pass plays and legal kick plays:
a. The basic spot on running plays when the run ends beyond the neutral zone is the spot where the related run ends, and fouls by the offensive team behind the basic spot are spot fouls (Rules 2-30-4 and 10-2-2-c-1) (Exceptions: Offensive team facemask, illegal use of hands, holding, illegal block and personal fouls, behind the neutral zone, are enforced from the previous spot. Safety if the foul occurs behind Team A抯 goal line).
b. The basic spot on running plays when the run ends behind the neutralzone is the previous spot, and fouls by the offensive team behind the basic spot are spot fouls (Rules 2-30-4 and 10-2-2-c-2) (Exceptions:Offensive team facemask, illegal use of hands, holding, illegal block and personal fouls, behind the neutral zone, are enforced from the previous spot. Safety if the foul occurs behind Team A抯 goal line).
c. The basic spot on running plays that occur when there is no neutral zone (interception runbacks, kick runbacks, fumble advances, etc.) is the spot where the related run ends, and fouls by the offensive team behind the basic spot are spot fouls (Rules 2-30-4 and 10-2-2-c-3) (Exceptions:
Rule 8-5-1 Exceptions).
d. The basic spot on legal forward pass plays is the previous spot, and fouls by the offensive team behind the basic spot are spot fouls (Rules 2-30-1 and 10-2-2-d).
Exceptions:
1. Defensive pass interference may be a spot foul.
2. Enforce roughing the passer on a completed forward pass from the
end of the last run when it ends beyond the neutral zone and there is
no change of team possession during the down (A.R. 2-30-4-I and II).
3. Enforce illegal-touching fouls from the previous spot.
4. Enforce offensive team facemask, illegal use of hands, holding,
illegal block and personal fouls, behind the neutral zone, from the
previous spot (Exception: Safety if the foul occurs behind Team A抯
goal line).
e. The basic spot on legal kick plays before a change of possession is the previous spot, and fouls by the offensive team behind the basic spot are spot fouls (Exceptions: Offensive team facemask, illegal use of hands, holding, illegal block and personal fouls, behind the neutral zone, are enforced from the previous spot. Safety if the foul occurs behind Team A抯 goal line) (Rules 2-30-2 and 3 and 10-2-2-e) (Rule 9-1-4-b on scrimmage kicks).
Postscrimmage Kick Spot
ARTICLE 11. The postscrimmage kick spot, as related to certain Team B
fouls, is the spot where the kick ends. Team B retains the ball after penalty enforcement. Penalties for Team B fouls are enforced either from the postscrimmage kick spot or, if the foul is behind the postscrimmage kick spot, from the spot of the foul.
SECTION 26. Tackling
ARTICLE 1. Tackling is grasping or encircling an opponent with a hand(s) or arm(s).
SECTION 27. Team and Player Designations
Teams A and B
ARTICLE 1. Team A is the team that is designated to put the ball in play, and it retains that designation until the ball is next ready for play. Team B designates the opponent.
Offensive and Defensive Teams
ARTICLE 2. The offensive team is the team in possession or the team to which the ball belongs; the defensive team is the opposing team.
Kicker and Holder
ARTICLE 3. a. The kicker is any player who punts, drop kicks or place
kicks according to rule. He remains the kicker until he has had a reasonable time to regain his balance.
b. A holder is a player who controls the ball on the ground or on a kicking tee. During a scrimmage-kick play, he remains the holder until no player is in position to make the kick or, if the ball is kicked, until the kicker has had a reasonable time to regain his balance.
Lineman and Back
ARTICLE 4. a. Any Team A player in one of the following positions is a lineman.
1. A lineman is any Team A player legally on his scrimmage line when
the ball is snapped. An interior lineman is any Team A player
legally on his scrimmage line and positioned between the end Team A players who are also on the line of scrimmage at the snap. An ineligible pass receiver of Team A is 搊n his scrimmage line拻 at the snap when he faces his opponent抯 goal line with the line of his shoulders parallel thereto and his head breaking the plane of the line drawn through the waistline of the snapper.
2. An eligible pass receiver of Team A is 搊n his scrimmage line拻 at
the snap when he faces his opponent抯 goal line with the line of his
shoulders approximately parallel thereto and his head breaking the
plane of the line drawn through the waistline of the snapper.
3. A Team A player also is a lineman when, after the ball is ready for play and the snapper touches or simulates (hand[s] at or below his knees) touching the ball, his head breaks the plane of the line drawnthrough the waistline of the snapper (Exception: Rule 7-1-3-b-1).
b. A back is any Team A player whose head or body does not break the
plane of the line drawn through the rear-most part, other than the legs or feet, of the nearest Team A player (except the snapper) on the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped. A lineman becomes a back before the snap when he moves to a position as a back and stops (A.R. 2-27-4-I).
Passer
ARTICLE 5. The passer is the player who throws a legal forward pass. He is a passer from the time he releases the ball until it is complete, incomplete or intercepted or he moves to participate in the play (A.R. 10-2-2-XXXIII).
Player
ARTICLE 6. a. A player is any one of the participants in the game who is not a substitute or a replaced player and is subject to the rules when inbounds or out of bounds.
b. An airborne player is a player not in contact with the ground.
c. A departing player is a player leaving the field, having been replaced by a substitute.
Runner and Ball Carrier
ARTICLE 7. a. The runner is a player in possession of a live ball or
simulating possession of a live ball.
b. A ball carrier is a runner in possession of a live ball.
Snapper
ARTICLE 8. The snapper is the player who snaps the ball. He becomes the snapper when he assumes his position and touches or simulates (hand[s] at or below his knees) touching the ball (Rule 7-1-3-a-1).

Substitute
ARTICLE 9. a. A legal substitute is a replacement for a player or a player vacancy during the interval between downs.
b. A legal incoming substitute becomes a player when he enters the field of play or end zones and communicates with a teammate or an official, enters the huddle, is positioned in an offensive or a defensive formation, or participates in a play.
Replaced Player
ARTICLE 10. A replaced player is one who participated during the previous down, has been replaced by a substitute and has left the field of play and the end zones.
Player Vacancy
ARTICLE 11. A player vacancy occurs when a team has fewer than 11
players in the game.
Disqualified Player
ARTICLE 12. A disqualified player is one who is declared ineligible for further participation in the game.
Squad Member
ARTICLE 13. A squad member is part of a group of potential players, in uniform, organized for participation in the ensuing football game or football plays.
SECTION 28. Tripping
ARTICLE 1. Tripping is intentionally using the lower leg or foot to obstruct an opponent (except the runner) below the knees.
SECTION 29. Timing Devices
Game Clock
ARTICLE 1. The game clock is any device under the direction of the
appropriate official used to time the 60 minutes of the game.
Play Clock
ARTICLE 2. Each stadium shall have a visual play clock at each end of
the playing enclosure. The play clock must be capable of counting down from both 40 seconds and 25 seconds. It should automatically default to 40 seconds and start immediately upon being re-set by the play-clock operator when any official signals that the ball is dead after a play.
SECTION 30. Play Classification
Forward Pass Play
ARTICLE 1. A legal forward pass play is the interval between the snap and when a legal forward pass is complete, incomplete or intercepted.
Free Kick Play
ARTICLE 2. A free kick play is the interval from the time the ball is legally kicked until it comes into player possession or is declared dead by rule.
Scrimmage Kick Play
ARTICLE 3. A scrimmage kick play is the interval between the snap and
when a scrimmage kick comes into player possession or the ball is declared dead by rule.
Running Play
ARTICLE 4. a. A running play is any live-ball action other than that during a free kick play, a scrimmage kick play or a legal forward pass play.
b. A run is that segment of a running play during which a ball carrier has possession.
c. If a ball carrier loses possession by a fumble, backward pass, or illegal forward pass, the running play includes the spot where the run endsand the loose-ball interval before possession is regained or the ball isdeclared dead (A.R. 2-30-4-I and II).
d. A new running play begins when a player gains or regains possession.
SECTION 31. Field Areas
The Field
ARTICLE 1. The field is the area within the limit lines and includes the limit lines and team areas, and the space above it (Exception: Enclosures over the field).
fr-60 RULE 2-31 / DEFINITIONS
Field of Play
ARTICLE 2. The field of play is the area within the boundary lines other than the end zones.
End Zones
ARTICLE 3. The end zones are the 10-yard areas at both ends of the field between the end lines and the goal lines. The goal lines and goal line pylons are in the end zone, and a team抯 end zone is the one it is defending (A.R. 8-5-1-X and A.R. 8-6-1-I).
Playing Surface
ARTICLE 4. The playing surface is the material or substance within the field of play, including the end zones.
Playing Enclosure
ARTICLE 5. The playing enclosure is that area bounded by the stadium,
dome, stands, fences or other structures (Exception: Scoreboards are not considered within the playing enclosure).
SECTION 32. Fighting
ARTICLE 1. Fighting is any attempt by a player, coach or squad member in uniform to strike an opponent in a combative manner unrelated to football. Such acts include, but are not limited to:
a. An attempt to strike an opponent with the arm(s), hand(s), leg(s) or foot (feet), whether or not there is contact.
b. An unsportsmanlike act toward an opponent that causes any opponent to retaliate by fighting (Rules 9-2-1-a and 9-5-1-a-c).


Best of luck
Victor Winnek
NCAA Football official