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NFL Football Rules
Sports
Dec 19, 2001, 22:28
By Kelly Reynolds Staff
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The official NFL football rules are based on a set of football rules drafted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 1876. Although this original set of 61 football rules has undergone an infinite number of changes through the years, the original version serves as a foundation for all of the other major football leagues. According to basic NFL football rules, there are seven different types of officials who rule on isolated aspects of the game. These officials consist of the referee, umpire, head linesman, line judge, field judge, side judge, and back judge.
Football rules dictate that the referee is the official that oversees and controls the game. This broad definition includes everything from announcing on the microphone when each quarter has ended to giving signals for all fouls that occur. Basically, the rules of football make the referee the final authority on all football rule interpretations.
Apart from ruling on the player’s equipment, the umpire is also responsible for making decisions about player conduct and actions on the scrimmage line. While the football rules assign the umpire various duties of his own, his position also requires that he assist the referee in football rule interpretation.
The football rules and regulations make the head linesman primarily responsible for determining offsides, encroachment, and scrimmage line actions prior to or at the snap of the football. Other functions of the head linesman include ruling on sideline plays, pass interference, and the legality of blockers and defenders on all plays involving ball carriers. Along with the referee, football rules require the head linesman to keep track of the number of downs and is also in charge of ensuring that the chain crew performs its duties.
Standing opposite the head linesman on the field, the line judge keeps the time of the game. The football rules also make the line judge responsible for various duties working with the head linesman, umpire and referee. Some of these obligations set forth by the official NFL football rules include paying close attention to plays occurring behind the umpire, and advising the referee when the time has run out at the end of each quarter.
Operating on the same side of the field as the line judge, the rules of football bestow several duties on the field judge. The field judge makes decisions regarding catching, recovery, or illegal touching of a loose ball beyond the line of scrimmage; rules on plays involving a pass receiver; and call clipping on punt returns.
In general, the side judge performs all of the same functions as a field judge. The only real difference in positions spelled out by the football rules consists of making the side judge double as an umpire on field goals and extra points attempted after a touchdown is scored.
Besides concentrating on plays made by the tight end, the back judge times the interval between plays. Set by the football rules this interval includes an intermission between the two quarters of each half, which is known as halftime. According to the football rules, the back judge also rules on whether or not field goals and conversions are successful.
While the official NFL football rules define various duties to be perfomed by each official during the game, in reality everyone works together as one unit. These football rules are necessary to provide some structure to the game, but if every person were only to perform a single function mass chaos would ensue. Just as in any other aspect of life the game of football requires teamwork in order to be successful.
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