Force is the result of energy exerted by a player which provides movement of the ball. The term force is used only in connection with the goal line and in only one direction, i.e., from the field of play into the end zone. Initial force results from a carry, fumble, kick, pass or snap. After a fumble, kick or backward pass has been grounded, a new force may result from a bat an illegal kick or a muff.
Tag: goal line
Rule 5, Section 3, Article 4
A ball touching the goal-line plane, when it becomes dead is in the end zone, even though it is moving away from the nearer end line and his its foremost point in the field of play.
Rule 10, Section 5, Article 2
The enforcement spot for any foul by the defense is the goal line when the run ends in the end zone and would result in a safety.
Rule 6, Section 5, Article 6
While any free kick is in flight in or beyond the neutral zone to the receiver’s goal line or any scrimmage kick is in flight beyond the neutral zone to the receivers’s goal line, K shall not:
a. Touch the ball or R, unless blocked into the ball or R, or to ward off a blocker; or
b . Obstruct R’s path to the ball.
This prohibition applies even when no fair-catch signal is given, but it does not apply after a free kick has been touched by a receiver, or after a scrimmage kick has been touched by a receiver who was clearly beyond the neutral zone at the time of touching.
EXCEPTION: K may catch, touch, muff or bat a scrimmage kick in flight beyond the neutral zone if no player of R is in position to catch the ball.
Rule 6, Section 1, Article 9
A free kick shall not be kicked out of bounds between the goal lines untouched inbounds by R. If it is kicked out of bounds and R does not accept a penalty for kick-catch interference on the same kick as in 6-5-4, R has the following choices:
a. Accept a 5-yard penalty from the previous spot and have k rekick;
b. Accept a 5-yard penalty from the succeeding spot;
c. Put the ball in play at the inbounds spot 25 yards beyond the previous spot; or
d.. Decline the penalty and put the ball in play at the inbounds spot.
Rule 9, Section 7, Article 2
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: A K player may bat toward his own goal line a grounded scrimmage kick which is beyond the neutral zone and may also bat toward his own goal line a scrimmage kick in flight beyond the neutral zone, if no R player is in position to catch the ball.
Rule 8, Section 5, Article 1
Responsibility for forcing the ball from the field of play across a goal line is attributed to the player who carries, snaps, passes, fumbles or kicks the ball, unless a new force is applied to a grounded backward pass, kick or fumble.
a. The muffing or batting of a pass, kick or fumble in flight is not considered a new force; and
b. The accidental touching of a loose ball by a player who was blocked into the ball is ignored and does not constitute a new force.
The Zebra Files 