NHFS FOOTBALL CORRECT STUDY GUIDE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Free Kick Out of Bounds - ✔✔Rule: 6-1-9
5 yard, live ball penalty. Options are:
1. Take the ball at the out-of-bounds spot: The ball is put into play at the inbounds spot
(usually the hash mark) where the ball crossed the sideline.
2. Accept a 5-yard penalty and re-kick: Team K will re-kick from 5 yards behind their
previous free-kick line.
3. Team R can opt to put the ball in play at a spot 25 yards downfield from the spot of
the kickoff (e.g., if the kickoff was from the K-40, R takes the ball at the K-35).
A. A free kick shall not be kicked out of bounds between the goal lines untouched
inbounds by R.
✔✔Illegal or Invalid Fair Catch Signal - ✔✔Rule: 6-5-7/8
5 yard, live ball penalty.
A. A receiver shall no give an invalid fair-catch signal (limp half wave, after the ball hits
the ground, after a teammate touches it, or raising two arms.)
B. The runner shall not give an illegal fair-catch signal (Occurs after the player has
recovered the ball)
✔✔Intentional Grounding - ✔✔Rule: 7-5-2d
5 yard, live ball penalty, loss of down.
A. A pass intentionally thrown into an area not occupied by an eligible offensive
receiver, or thrown incomplete to save loss of yardage or to conserve time.
,Exceptions:
1. It is legal for a player directly positioned behind the snapper to conserve time by
intentionally throwing the ball forward to the ground immediately.
2. It is legal for the player to conserve yardage by intentionally throwing an incomplete
forward pass if all of the following conditions are met:
- The passer is beyond the lateral boundary of the free-blocking zone as determined at
the snap.
- The pass reaches the neutral zone, including the extension beyond the sideline; and
- The passer is the only player to possess the ball after the snap ends.
✔✔Illegal Touching - ✔✔Rule: 7-5-13
5 yard, live ball penalty with loss of down.
A. An ineligible A player has illegally touched a forward pass if bats, muffs, or catches a
legal forward pass, unless the pass has been first touched by B.
✔✔Helping Runner - ✔✔Rule: 9-1
5 yard, live ball penalty.
A. An offensive player shall not push, pull or lift the runner to assist his forward progress
✔✔Running into Kicker/Holder - ✔✔Rule: 9-4-5
5 yard, live ball penalty.
A. A defenseless player shall neither run into the kicker nor holder, which is contact that
displaces the kicker or holder without roughing.
✔✔Sideline Interference - ✔✔Rule: 9-8-1k
5 yard, live or dead ball penalty.
A. Being outside the team box, but not on the field. Especially if you make contact with
anyone on the white that is not in the play.
✔✔Illegal Kicking or Batting the Ball - ✔✔Rule: 6-2-1, 9-7
10 yard, live or dead ball penalty.
A. K may not punt, drop kick or place kick from beyond the neutral zone. R may not
punt, drop kick or place kick.
B. No player shall intentionally kick the ball aside from a free or scrimmage kick.
, C. No player shall bat a loose ball other than a pass or fumble in flight or a low
scrimmage kick in flight which he is attempting to block in or behind the expanded
neutral zone. (exception: K player may towards his own goal line, away from opponent
goal line if no R player is in position to catch the ball.)
D. Any pass in flight may be batted in any direction, by an eligible receiver unless it is a
backward pass batted forward by the passing team.
✔✔Holding - ✔✔Rule: 9-2-1c; 9-2-3c, e
10 yard, live ball penalty.
A. A defensive player shall not use his hands or arms or legs to hook, lock, clamp,
grasp, encircle or hold in an effort to restrain an opponent other than the runner.
B. Grabbing the jersey, wrapping the arms around the defender, or tackling a non-
runner.
✔✔Illegal Use of Hands - ✔✔Rule: 9-2-3a, b, d
10 yard, live ball penalty.
A. Placing hands directly on an opponent's face mask/helmet, striking or pushing
outside the body framework (shoulders to waist), or a defender pushing an eligible
receiver downfield who is no longer a blocker.
✔✔Illegal Block in the Back - ✔✔Rule: 9-3-5
10 yard, live ball penalty.
A. A player shall not block an opponent in the back except:
- In the free blocking zone when offensive linemen are on the line of scrimmage and in
the zone at the snap.
- Against defensive players who are in the zone at the snap.
- The contact is in the zone.
B. To tackle a runner or player pretending to be a runner.
C. Trying to catch or recover a loose ball.
✔✔Unsportsmanlike Conduct by Players - ✔✔Rule: 9-5
15 yard, live or dead ball penalty. If flagrant, results in ejection.
2 fouls results in ejection.
A. Taunting
B. Using profanity, insulting or vulgar language or gestures
C. Any excessive or prolonged act which a player attempts to focus attention on himself
D. Kicking the ball, other than during a legal kick
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Free Kick Out of Bounds - ✔✔Rule: 6-1-9
5 yard, live ball penalty. Options are:
1. Take the ball at the out-of-bounds spot: The ball is put into play at the inbounds spot
(usually the hash mark) where the ball crossed the sideline.
2. Accept a 5-yard penalty and re-kick: Team K will re-kick from 5 yards behind their
previous free-kick line.
3. Team R can opt to put the ball in play at a spot 25 yards downfield from the spot of
the kickoff (e.g., if the kickoff was from the K-40, R takes the ball at the K-35).
A. A free kick shall not be kicked out of bounds between the goal lines untouched
inbounds by R.
✔✔Illegal or Invalid Fair Catch Signal - ✔✔Rule: 6-5-7/8
5 yard, live ball penalty.
A. A receiver shall no give an invalid fair-catch signal (limp half wave, after the ball hits
the ground, after a teammate touches it, or raising two arms.)
B. The runner shall not give an illegal fair-catch signal (Occurs after the player has
recovered the ball)
✔✔Intentional Grounding - ✔✔Rule: 7-5-2d
5 yard, live ball penalty, loss of down.
A. A pass intentionally thrown into an area not occupied by an eligible offensive
receiver, or thrown incomplete to save loss of yardage or to conserve time.
,Exceptions:
1. It is legal for a player directly positioned behind the snapper to conserve time by
intentionally throwing the ball forward to the ground immediately.
2. It is legal for the player to conserve yardage by intentionally throwing an incomplete
forward pass if all of the following conditions are met:
- The passer is beyond the lateral boundary of the free-blocking zone as determined at
the snap.
- The pass reaches the neutral zone, including the extension beyond the sideline; and
- The passer is the only player to possess the ball after the snap ends.
✔✔Illegal Touching - ✔✔Rule: 7-5-13
5 yard, live ball penalty with loss of down.
A. An ineligible A player has illegally touched a forward pass if bats, muffs, or catches a
legal forward pass, unless the pass has been first touched by B.
✔✔Helping Runner - ✔✔Rule: 9-1
5 yard, live ball penalty.
A. An offensive player shall not push, pull or lift the runner to assist his forward progress
✔✔Running into Kicker/Holder - ✔✔Rule: 9-4-5
5 yard, live ball penalty.
A. A defenseless player shall neither run into the kicker nor holder, which is contact that
displaces the kicker or holder without roughing.
✔✔Sideline Interference - ✔✔Rule: 9-8-1k
5 yard, live or dead ball penalty.
A. Being outside the team box, but not on the field. Especially if you make contact with
anyone on the white that is not in the play.
✔✔Illegal Kicking or Batting the Ball - ✔✔Rule: 6-2-1, 9-7
10 yard, live or dead ball penalty.
A. K may not punt, drop kick or place kick from beyond the neutral zone. R may not
punt, drop kick or place kick.
B. No player shall intentionally kick the ball aside from a free or scrimmage kick.
, C. No player shall bat a loose ball other than a pass or fumble in flight or a low
scrimmage kick in flight which he is attempting to block in or behind the expanded
neutral zone. (exception: K player may towards his own goal line, away from opponent
goal line if no R player is in position to catch the ball.)
D. Any pass in flight may be batted in any direction, by an eligible receiver unless it is a
backward pass batted forward by the passing team.
✔✔Holding - ✔✔Rule: 9-2-1c; 9-2-3c, e
10 yard, live ball penalty.
A. A defensive player shall not use his hands or arms or legs to hook, lock, clamp,
grasp, encircle or hold in an effort to restrain an opponent other than the runner.
B. Grabbing the jersey, wrapping the arms around the defender, or tackling a non-
runner.
✔✔Illegal Use of Hands - ✔✔Rule: 9-2-3a, b, d
10 yard, live ball penalty.
A. Placing hands directly on an opponent's face mask/helmet, striking or pushing
outside the body framework (shoulders to waist), or a defender pushing an eligible
receiver downfield who is no longer a blocker.
✔✔Illegal Block in the Back - ✔✔Rule: 9-3-5
10 yard, live ball penalty.
A. A player shall not block an opponent in the back except:
- In the free blocking zone when offensive linemen are on the line of scrimmage and in
the zone at the snap.
- Against defensive players who are in the zone at the snap.
- The contact is in the zone.
B. To tackle a runner or player pretending to be a runner.
C. Trying to catch or recover a loose ball.
✔✔Unsportsmanlike Conduct by Players - ✔✔Rule: 9-5
15 yard, live or dead ball penalty. If flagrant, results in ejection.
2 fouls results in ejection.
A. Taunting
B. Using profanity, insulting or vulgar language or gestures
C. Any excessive or prolonged act which a player attempts to focus attention on himself
D. Kicking the ball, other than during a legal kick
