One of the more common misconceptions amongst coaches and spectators is that an eligible receiver loses his eligibility after stepping out of bounds. That is not what the NFHS rules say.
Rule 7-5-6d states that a player who is eligible at the start of the down remains eligible throughout the down. Stepping on or beyond the sideline does not suddenly transform an eligible receiver into an ineligible receiver. His eligibility never changes.
However, whether the player was blocked out of bounds, accidentally stepped out of bounds, or intentionally went out of bounds determines how we rule if he later returns to the field, touches the ball, influences the play, or otherwise participates.
Rule 2-29-1 tells us that once a player is out of bounds, he remains out of bounds until he returns to the field with a body part touching the field while no part of his body is touching anything out of bounds. In other words, a player who has stepped out of bounds is still considered out of bounds until he legally re-establishes himself inbounds.
That distinction is important because it determines how we rule when the player touches a forward pass.
Suppose an eligible receiver runs a route and accidentally steps out of bounds before the pass arrives. If he jumps from out of bounds and touches the pass before re-establishing himself inbounds, the pass is incomplete. The player is still considered out of bounds under Rule 2-29-1, so an out-of-bounds player has touched the pass. This is not an illegal touching foul. It is simply an incomplete pass because of the player’s out-of-bounds status. And this is not an illegal participation foul because the player did not return to the field (9-6-1). The ball is dead, and the play ends when he touches the ball.
Now let’s change the play slightly. The receiver goes out of bounds, returns inbounds, and then catches the pass.
The catch itself is legal because the player successfully re-established himself inbounds before touching the ball. His eligibility never disappeared, so there is no issue with him being an eligible receiver. However, our analysis is not finished.
We must now ask a different question: Why did he go out of bounds?
If the player was blocked out of bounds by an opponent, Rule 9-6-1 allows him to return to the field, provided he returns at the first opportunity. Assuming he does so, he may legally participate by catching the pass.
If, however, the player accidentally went out of bounds on his own and then returned to participate before there was a change of possession, he has committed illegal participation under Rule 9-6-1. If he intentionally goes out of bounds during the down and then returns to the field, intentionally touches the ball, influences the play, or otherwise participates, he is guilty of illegal participation (9-6-2).
When officiating these plays, it helps to think through them in three separate questions.
First, was the player eligible at the snap? If so, he remains eligible throughout the down.
Second, if a player stepped out of bounds, was he inbounds or out of bounds when he touched the pass? Rule 2-29-1 answers that question.
Finally, if he returns to the field, is he guilty of illegal participation? If he was blocked out of bounds, he may return at the first opportunity. If he stepped out accidentally or intentionally, he cannot return to the field. If he stepped out intentionally, he can’t even intentionally touch the ball while out of bounds.
Quiz
Read the quiz stem and then choose the best answer.
3/5 from the A-25. A36 is in the backfield at the snap. He runs a route down the sideline and steps out of bounds. He leaps from out of bounds, catches a forward pass, lands inbounds at the A-37, and is tackled at the A-40.
- Legal play
- Incomplete pass
- Illegal touching
- Illegal participation
Review Rules 2-7-1, 2-29-1, 2-29-2, 7-5-5, 7-5-6a, 7-5-6d, 7-5-13