Our Good Friend Mr. Mo Mentum

1. Our Good Friend Mr. Mo Mentum Meeting of 29 Sep 05

2. Our Mission • Discuss the momentum exception and display our knowledge of the exception by answering the quiz questions correctly.

3. Review of the Safety Rule • By 8-5-2a, when a runner carries the ball from the field of play to or across his own goal line, and it becomes dead there in his team’s possession, it is a safety.

4. Situation #1 (SG 9.18): • Quarterback A1 receives the snap at his 2 yard line and drops back into his own end zone where he is tackled by B2. • RULNG: Safety.

5. Review of the Touchback Rule • 7-5-3c,d: At other times, when A forces the ball into the end zone and B possesses it, it is a touchback.

6. Situation #2: (MP) • Defensive back B1 intercepts A2’s pass in B’s end zone and is immediately downed by receiver A3 in the end zone. • RULING: Touchback for B.

7. Momentum Exception • What do we do when B makes a good defensive effort in the field of play by interception, etc, but it is B who forces the ball in the end zone? • Since B made the effort in the field of play it does not qualify for a touchback. • The rule makers did not want to penalize B by ruling a safety, so they came up with the Momentum Exception.

8. 8-5-2a Exception: • It is neither a safety nor a touchback • if a defensive player is inside his 5 yard line when he recovers or intercepts a fumble, forward or backward pass, or catches/recovers a kick, and • His momentum carries him into the end zone where he is downed or loses possession of the ball which then goes out of bounds in the end zone. • The ball belongs to the defensive team at the spot where the pass or fumble was intercepted or recovered or the kick was caught or recovered.

9. Rule Change This Year: • The Momentum Exception applies to all loose balls, both in flight and grounded. • We used to say the exception only applied to catches, not recoveries. Now it applies to both.

10. The spot where the pass or fumble was intercepted or recovered or the kick was caught or recovered • For brevity’s sake, I’m calling that the the momentum spot. • We mark the momentum spot with a beanbag. Why? • Because it marks the spot where the ball may be next put in play, and it also marks the spot from where we may enforce a penalty.

11. Momentum Spot • It is the spot inside the 5 yard line where the defensive team gains possession and from where his momentum carries him into the end zone.

12. Momentum Requirements: • #1 Defensive player gains possession of a loose ball (fumble, pass or kick) from his own 5 yard line to the goal line. • #2 His original momentum carries him into the end zone. • #3 The ball is declared dead in the end zone in his team’s possession or it goes out of bounds in the end zone.

13. Situation #3 (SG 9.20): • Team K’s long punt is caught by R1 at his 3 yard line. His momentum carries him into his end zone where: (a) he is tackled; or (b) he fumbles the ball and it goes out of bounds over the end line. • RULING: In both cases it is team R’s ball at his 3 yard line where R1 caught it.

14. Situation #4: (SG 9.21): • Team K’s kickoff lands at the 6 yard line and bounces high into the air. Receiver R1 possesses the ball at his 3 yard line and his momentum carries him into the end zone where he is tackled. • RULING: The momentum rule applies. It is Team R’s ball at the 3 yard line where R1 recovered the kick.

15. Situation #5 (8.5.2A): • R1 makes an over-the-shoulder catch of a scrimmage kick on his own 2-yard line, running full speed in the direction of his own goal line. His momentum carries him into the end zone with the ball. • RULING: Since the momentum of R1 carried him into his own end zone, if the ball becomes dead in his possession in the end zone, it will be R's ball at the spot of the catch. This also would be true if the ball went out of bounds behind the goal line after R1's momentum carried him there and he was last in possession of the ball. (8-5-2a Exp.)

16. When is the momentum exception not in effect? • Whenever the defensive player does not meet all 3 of the requirements.

17. Momentum Requirements: • #1 Defensive player gains possession of a loose ball (fumble, pass or kick) from his own 5 yard line to the goal line. • #2 His original momentum carries him into the end zone. • #3 The ball is declared dead in the end zone in his team’s possession or it goes out of bounds in the end zone.

18. Situation #6 (8.5.2E): • B1 intercepts a pass on B's 4-yard line with his momentum taking him directly toward his goal line: (a) B1 fumbles on the 1-yard line, or (b) B1 is contacted by A2 and the ball comes loose on the 2-yard line. In both cases B2 recovers the ball in B's end zone and is downed there. • RULING: It is a safety in both (a) and (b). Once B1 gained possession in the field of play, he is responsible for the fumble which is the force which put the ball into the end zone. Had B1 not fumbled, the momentum exception would have been in effect.

19. Situation #7: (SG 9.22) • A1’s long pass is intercepted by B2 at his 7 yard line, and his original momentum carries him into his end zone where he falls down. • RULING: Safety; the momentum exception does not apply when the ball is caught outside of Team B’s 5 yard line.

20. Situation #8 (SG 9.23): • R1 catches K2’s kickoff on R’s one yard line, R1 takes a step forward and circles back into his own end zone where he is tackled. • RULING: Safety; the step forward eliminated any possibility of momentum being judged as the reason for the ball being carried into the end zone.

21. Momentum requirements: • #1 Defensive player gains possession of a loose ball (fumble, pass or kick) from his own 5 yard line to the goal line. • #2 His original momentum carries him into the end zone. • #3 The ball is declared dead in the end zone in his team’s possession or it goes out of bounds in the end zone.

22. Requirements • In the case of the 3rd part of the exception, the end zone is referring to the ball, not the player.

23. Situation #9 (SG 9.24) • K1’s kick is caught by R2 on his own 2 yard line. R2’s original momentum carries him into his end zone and he is able to stop about 3 yards deep. R2 steps laterally and retreats almost to the end line, he runs parallel to the goal line and makes an attempt to bring the ball out of the end zone, but is tackled by K3 before leaving the end zone. • RULING: Although R2 maneuvered in the end zone, the exception applies because original momentum took the ball into the end zone and it remained there. Team R’s ball 1st and 10 from their own 2.

24. Situation #10: (SG 9.25) • R1 catches K2’s kick on his own 3 yard line. Original momentum carries him into the end zone. He stops and runs out to the 1 yard line, then circles back into the end zone and is (a) tackled there; or (b) comes out again and is tackled on his 1 yard line. • RULING: The momentum exception applied until R1 brought the ball out of the end zone. In (a), it is a safety, and in (b) Team R’s ball on their own 1 yard line.

25. Situation #11 (SG 9.26) • B1 intercepts a pass on his own 2 yard line and pitches the ball back to B2 in the end zone (a) after; or (b) before his momentum carries him into the end zone. B2 is tackled in the end zone. • RULING: In (a), the momentum exception applies since B1’s momentum took the ball into the end zone. B’s ball, 1st and 10 from their own 2. (b) It is a safety, the backward pass was the force which put the ball in the end zone. The momentum exception cannot apply.

26. Momentum and Penalties: • By 10-3-3c, the momentum spot is the end of the run for penalty enforcement. • We therefore use the all but one principle for fouls that occurred during a momentum exception.

27. Situation #12 (SG 11.48): • B1 intercepts a pass on his own 3 yard line and his momentum carries him into the end zone where he is downed. After the interception, and before the ball became dead, (a) A2 grabs a facemask in B’s end zone; (b) A3 grabs a facemask at the 5 yard line; or (c) B4 holds in the end zone. • RULING: In (a) and (b), if the penalty is accepted for A’s foul, it will be 1st and 10 for B from their 18 yard line since the penalty is enforced from the momentum spot (where B1 intercepted the ball). In (c), it is a safety since the foul will be enforced from the spot of the foul under the all-but-once principle.

28. Situation #13: (8.5.2F): • B1 intercepts on his own 4-yard line and his momentum takes him into B's end zone. (a) B1 advances out of the end zone and runs to his own 35-yard line; or (b) B1 runs out of the end zone then circles back into it and is downed there; or (c) B1 is hit and fumbles and A1 falls on the loose ball in the end zone; or (d) B2 holds A1 in the end zone as B1 is downed there. • RULING: Legal advance in (a). In (b), it is a safety. Once B1 advances out of the end zone as in (a) or (b), the exception is canceled and action thereafter dictates the result of the play. Touchdown for A in (c). In (d), the foul by B2 occurred in the end zone behind the basic spot resulting in a safety. (7-5-4; 8-1-2; 8-5-2a Exp; 10-4-3; 10-6)Corrections—Rules Book

29. Our Mission • Discuss the momentum exception and display our knowledge of the exception by answering the quiz questions correctly.