Football Rules Question

This came up during the ND-Purdue game, following the fake field goal attempt and the ensuing TD: If the holder's knee is on the ground when he receives the ball on the snap, isn't he down? How can he get up and run the ball?

I was at the game, so I could not view a replay to see if his knee was off the ground, which it might have been, which would make this question moot.

 

Sid
If that were the case than every time the ball is snapped on a kick the whistle would blow before the kick with a ruling that the holder was down.
As we all know Rule 4 sec. 1 (b) makes an exception to the ball being dead upon contact of the player's knee with the ground when simulating a kick.

 

Sid..he must have lifted his knee just before ball made contact. j

 

Gip,

Is that on the level or are you yanking my chain?
It certainly sounds credible. :roll:

 

I don't know the exact rule, but he's right. If the play were dead as soon as the holder of the ball has a knee on the ground...well nobody could even kick an extra point as the play would be dead before the foot hits the ball.

Every fake field goal or even a bobbled snap still are live actions so there has to be a special exception for the rule.

 

Doc
No I quoted the correct rule covering the situation. And just for Bobda's concerns, I Shepardized it.

 

Bobda? He hasn't posted in this thread.

 

That's lawyer talk for "it's still good law."

 

Thanks, fellas.