A. No person subject to the rules shall strike an opponent with the knee; strike an opponent’s helmet (including the face mask), neck, face or any other part of the body with an extended forearm, elbow, locked , palm, fist, or the heel, back or side of the open hand; or gouge an opponent.
Approved Ruling 9-1-2 I. A player on defense sticks out his foot and trips an opponent. (a) The opponent is a wide receiver running a passing route. (b) The opponent is the ball carrier. RULING: (a) and (b) Personal foul, Tripping. Penalty—15 yards, automatic first down.
B. No person subject to the rules shall strike an opponent with their foot or any part of their leg that is below the knee.
Approved Ruling 9-1-2 II. A1, a ball carrier, strikes tackler B6 with his extended forearm just before being tackled. RULING: Personal foul. Penalty—15 yards. Enforce from the previous spot if foul occurs behind the neutral zone. Ejection if flagrant. Safety if the foul occurs behind Team A’s goal line.
Approved Ruling 9-1-2 III. A11 completes a forward pass to A88 who is tackled in the field of play. During the play defensive end B88 is flagged for a personal foul against A79. RULING: The 15-yard penalty is enforced at the spot where A88 is tackled (Rules 7-3-12 and 9-1 Penalty).
Approved Ruling 9-1-2 IV. 1/10 @ A-25. Defender B21 is in press coverage, and at the snap strikes wideout A88 in the face mask. A88 is initially disrupted from running the route. A12 is sacked for a 7-yard loss. RULING: Personal foul by B21 for striking A88. Team A will have 1/10 @ A-40. With this type action, continuous contact to the opponent’s face, helmet (including the face mask) or neck is not a requirement to be a foul as per Rule 9-1-8a.
C. There shall be no tripping. Tripping is intentionally using the lower leg or foot to obstruct an opponent below the knee. (Rule 2-28)
Approved Ruling 9-1-2 I. A player on defense sticks out his foot and trips an opponent. (a) The opponent is a wide receiver running a passing route. (b) The opponent is the ball carrier. RULING: (a) and (b) Personal foul, Tripping. Penalty—15 yards, automatic first down.
