When reading the Rules Book, it is often helpful to understand the philosophy behind a rule rather than simply memorizing its language. Knowing the “why” behind a rule not only makes it easier to remember but also helps officials apply it correctly when faced with an unusual play.
Rule 2-13 defines force and identifies who is responsible for putting the ball into an end zone. The initial force is created by a carry, fumble, kick, pass, or snap. A new force can only result from a bat, an illegal kick, or a muff after a grounded fumble, kick, or backward pass.
Rule 2-13-3 tells us that the muffing or batting of a pass, kick, or fumble while it is still in flight is not considered a new force.
To understand Rule 2-13-3, don’t start by asking what it says. Start by asking why it says it. What problem was the rules committee trying to solve?
Imagine if every airborne muff had the potential to create a new force. Officials would then have to decide whether the player’s contact merely redirected the ball or supplied enough energy to make it responsible for the ball’s movement into the end zone. Did the muff simply change the ball’s direction? Did it propel the ball farther than the original kick or fumble? Different officials could easily reach different conclusions on identical plays.
Instead, the Rules Book gives us an objective standard for airborne balls. If the ball remains in flight, responsibility for the force never changes. The player who originally carried, snapped, passed, kicked, or fumbled the ball remains responsible for the ball’s energy toward the goal line. An airborne muff or bat may change the ball’s direction, but by rule it does not create a new force.
Once the ball touches the ground, the analysis changes. At that point, a subsequent bat, illegal kick, or muff may create a new force. The covering official must now determine whether the grounded ball entered the end zone because of the original force or because of the subsequent act.
Rule 2-13 tells us when a new force may be applied to a grounded kick, fumble, or backward pass. It does not tell us how much energy the subsequent muff, bat, or illegal kick must provide to become responsible for the ball crossing the goal line. That determination is left to the judgment of the covering official.
To promote consistency, officials rely on a long-standing interpretation: when in question, the original force is considered sufficient to have caused the ball to cross the goal line. Consequently, a new force should be ruled only when it is clear that the subsequent act, rather than the original force, put the ball into the end zone.
That philosophy is reflected in many rules examination questions. The play description will often include language such as “the ball is almost at rest,” “the ball is traveling parallel to the goal line,” or similar wording that makes it obvious the original force would not have carried the ball into the end zone. Those details remove the ambiguity and allow the official to focus on applying the rule.
On the football field, however, we rarely receive that luxury. The covering official must evaluate the play in real time and determine whether the subsequent act clearly created a new force or whether responsibility remains with the original force.
Rule 2-13-3 eliminates the need to make that subjective judgment while the ball is airborne. Officials never have to compare the amount of energy supplied by an airborne muff with the original kick, pass, or fumble. Responsibility remains with the original force until the ball becomes grounded. Only then does the possibility of a new force enter the equation.
Understanding the “why” behind Rule 2-13-3 makes the rule much easier to apply. The committee intentionally eliminated a difficult judgment on airborne balls by creating a bright-line standard. When the ball is grounded, however, officials must once again evaluate the play and determine whether a new force has been applied.
Quiz
Read the quiz stem and then choose the best answer.
4/G from the R-1. K12’s field goal attempt strikes K55 in the helmet while K55 is standing in the end zone and the ball goes through the upright.
- Field goal. Team K scores 3 points
- Touchback
Review Rules 2-28-2, 4-2-2(d)2, 6-3-1b, and 8-4-1b