Rule 7 — Ball in Play, Dead Ball, Scrimmage
Section 1 — Ball in Play
Article 1 — Live Ball
After the ball has been declared ready for play, it becomes a live ball when it is legally snapped or legally kicked. The ball remains dead if it is snapped or kicked before it is made ready for play.
Section 2 — Dead Ball
Article 1 — Dead Ball Declared
An official shall declare the ball dead and the down ended:
- (a) when a runner is contacted by an opponent and touches the ground with any part of his body other than his hands or feet;
- (b) when a runner is held or otherwise restrained so that his forward progress ends;
- (c) when a quarterback immediately drops to his knee, or simulates dropping to his knee, behind or beyond the line of scrimmage;
- (d) when a runner declares himself down by falling to the ground or kneeling and clearly making no immediate effort to advance; or by sliding or diving;
- (e) when a runner is out of bounds;
- (f) when an opponent takes a ball that is in the possession of a runner who is on the ground;
- (g) when a forward pass (legal or illegal) is incomplete;
- (h) when any legal or illegal kick touches the receivers' goal posts or crossbar;
- (i) when a loose ball comes to rest anywhere in the field, and no player attempts to recover it;
- (j) when any legal or illegal kick is caught or recovered by the kickers, except a scrimmage kick recovered behind the line;
- (k) when a kickoff or safety kick first touches the ground or a player in advance of the front yard line of the landing zone;
- (l) when an onside kick goes untouched beyond the onside kick setup zone;
- (m) when a touchdown, touchback, safety, field goal, or Try has been made;
- (n) when any receiver catches or recovers the ball after a fair catch signal;
- (o) when an official sounds the whistle erroneously while the ball is still in play;
- (p) when a fumble is recovered by a teammate of the fumbling player under two-minute, Try, or fourth-down provisions;
- (q) when the ball is out of bounds;
- (r) if a loose ball in play strikes a video board, guide wire, sky cam, or any other object (down will be replayed); or
- (s) when a runner's helmet comes completely off.
Article 2 — Ball Touches Official
The ball is not dead because it touches an official who is inbounds, or because of a signal by an official other than a whistle.
Section 3 — New Series of Downs
Article 1 — New Series for Team A
A new series of four scrimmage downs is awarded to Team A when:
- (a) the ball is declared dead in possession of Team A while at or beyond the line to gain;
- (b) enforcement of a foul by Team B results in the placement of the ball at or beyond the line to gain;
- (c) Team A has possession at the end of the down after a change of possession;
- (d) the kicking team recovers a scrimmage kick after it has been touched beyond the line by the receivers; or
- (e) the kicking team legally recovers a free kick.
Article 2 — New Series for Team B
A new series of four scrimmage downs is awarded to Team B when:
- (a) Team A fails to advance the ball to the line to gain;
- (b) Team B has possession at the end of the down; or
- (c) the ball is declared dead in possession of the receiving team after a free kick, scrimmage kick, or fair catch kick.
Article 3 — Forward Part of Ball
The forward part of the ball in its position when declared dead shall be the determining point in measuring any distance gained or lost.
Section 4 — Action at or Before the Snap
Article 1 — Ball Ready for Play
After the neutral zone has been established, an offensive player may not make a false start, a defensive player may not encroach or commit a neutral zone infraction, and no player of either team may be offside when the ball is put in play.
Article 2 — False Start
It is a false start if the ball has been placed ready for play, and, prior to the snap, an offensive player who has assumed a set position moves in such a way as to simulate the start of a play, or if an offensive player who is in motion makes a sudden movement toward the line of scrimmage.
Penalty: For a false start: Loss of five yards from the line of scrimmage.
Article 3 — Encroachment
It is encroachment if a defensive player enters the neutral zone and contacts an offensive player or the ball prior to the snap.
Penalty: For encroachment: Loss of five yards from the line of scrimmage.
Article 4 — Neutral Zone Infraction
It is a neutral zone infraction when: (a) a defender moves beyond the neutral zone prior to the snap with an unimpeded path to the quarterback; (b) a defender enters the neutral zone causing offensive players to react immediately; or (c) during the last two minutes of a half the ball is snapped before all defenders are on their side of the line.
Penalty: For a neutral zone infraction: Loss of five yards from line of scrimmage.
Article 5 — Offside
A player is offside when any part of his body is in or beyond the neutral zone when the ball is put in play.
Penalty: For offside: Loss of five yards.
Article 6 — Complete Stop
All offensive players are required to come to a complete stop and be in a set position simultaneously for at least one full second prior to the snap.
Article 7 — Shifts
The offensive team must present a legal formation before and after a shift. After the last shift, all players must come to a complete stop and be in a set position simultaneously for at least one full second.
Penalty: For an illegal shift: Loss of five yards.
Article 8 — Illegal Motion
When the ball is snapped, one player who is lined up in the backfield may be in motion, provided that he is moving parallel to or away from the line of scrimmage. No player is permitted to be moving toward the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped.
Penalty: For a player illegally in motion at the snap: Loss of five yards.
Section 5 — Position of Players at the Snap
Article 1 — Offensive Team
The offensive team must comply with the following at the snap:
- (a) It must have seven or more players on the line.
- (b) Eligible receivers must be on both ends of the line, and all players between them must be ineligible receivers.
- (c) No player may be out of bounds.
- (d) No player may take a position that is neither clearly on, nor clearly off the line of scrimmage, unless directly behind the snapper.
- (e) Players in eligible positions must wear an eligible number, unless they have reported a change.
Penalty: For illegal formation by the offense: Loss of five yards.
Section 6 — Putting the Ball in Play
Article 1 — Ball in Play
The offensive team must put the ball in play with a snap at the spot where the previous down ended.
Article 2 — Snap at Inbounds Spot
The ball is next put in play at the inbounds spot when: (a) a loose ball other than an incomplete forward pass is out of bounds between the goal lines; (b) a runner is out of bounds between the goal lines; (c) the ball is dead in a side zone; (d) the ball is placed in the side zone as the result of a penalty; or (e) a fair catch is made or awarded in a side zone.
Article 3 — Restrictions for Snapper
The snap must start with the ball on the ground, with its long axis at right angles to the line. The ball must leave or be taken from the snapper's hands in one quick and continuous motion.
Penalty: For illegally snapping the ball: Loss of five yards from the line of scrimmage.
Article 4 — Legal Snap
A snap is a backward pass. The snap must be received by a player who is not on the line of scrimmage at the snap, unless the ball first strikes the ground.
Penalty: For snapping the ball to a player who is ineligible to receive the snap: Loss of five yards from the line of scrimmage.