2. Clipping: Throwing the body across
the back of an opponent’s leg or hitting him from the back
below the waist while moving up from behind unless the opponent
is a runner or the action is in close line play.
3. Close Line Play: The area between
the positions normally occupied by the offensive tackles, extending
three yards on each side of the line of scrimmage. It is legal to
clip above the knee.
4. Crackback: Eligible receivers
who take or move to a position more than two yards outside the tackle
may not block an opponent below the waist if they then move back
inside to block.
5. Dead Ball: Ball not in play.
6. Double Foul: A foul by each team
during the same down.
7. Down: The period of action that
starts when the ball is put in play and ends when it is dead.
8. Encroachment: When a player enters
the neutral zone and makes contact with an opponent before the ball
is snapped.
9. Fair Catch: An unhindered catch
of a kick by a member of the receiving team who must raise one arm
a full length above his head and wave his arm from side to side
while the kick is in flight.
10. Foul: Any violation of a playing
rule.
11. Free Kick: A kickoff or safety
kick. It may be a placekick, dropkick, or punt, except a punt may
not be used on a kickoff following a touchdown, successful field
goal, or to begin each half or overtime period. A tee cannot be
used on a fair-catch or safety kick.
12. Fumble: The loss of possession
of the ball.
13. Game Clock: Scoreboard game clock.
14. Impetus: The action of a player
that gives momentum to the ball.
15. Live Ball: A ball legally free
kicked or snapped. It continues in play until the down ends.
16. Loose Ball: A live ball not in
possession of any player.
17. Muff: The touching of a loose
ball by a player in an unsuccessful attempt to obtain possession.
18. Neutral Zone: The space the length
of a ball between the two scrimmage lines. The offensive team and
defensive team must remain behind their end of the ball.
Exception: The offensive player who snaps the ball.
19. Offside: A player is offside
when any part of his body is beyond his scrimmage or free kick line
when the ball is snapped or kicked.
20. Own Goal: The goal a team is
guarding.
21. Play Clock: 40/25 second clock.
22. Pocket Area: Applies from a point
two yards outside of either offensive tackle and includes the tight
end if he drops off the line of scrimmage to pass protect. Pocket
extends longitudinally behind the line back to offensive team’s
own end line.
23. Possession: When a player controls
the ball throughout the act of clearly touching both feet, or any
other part of his body other than his hand(s), to the ground inbounds.
24. Post-Possession Foul: A foul
by the receiving team that occurs after a ball is legally kicked
from scrimmage prior to possession changing. The ball must cross
the line of scrimmage and the receiving team must retain possession
of the kicked ball.
25. Punt: A kick made when a player
drops the ball and kicks it while it is in flight.
26. Safety: The situation in which
the ball is dead on or behind a team’s own goal if the impetus
comes from a player on that team. Two points are scored for the
opposing team.
27. Shift: The movement of two or
more offensive players at the same time before the snap.
28. Striking: The act of swinging,
clubbing, or propelling the arm or forearm in contacting an opponent.
29. Sudden Death: The continuation
of a tied game into sudden death overtime in which the team scoring
first (by safety, field goal, or touchdown) wins.
30. Touchback: When a ball is dead
on or behind a team’s own goal line, provided the impetus
came from an opponent and provided it is not a touchdown or a missed
field goal.
31. Touchdown: When any part of the
ball, legally in possession of a player inbounds, breaks the plane
of the opponent’s goal line, provided it is not a touchback.
32. Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Any
act contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship.
