Spotting the ball for forward progress is a lot like starting and stopping the clock. Most of the time no one pays attention to what you are doing, but in a critical situation, you’d better be perfect. After a 40-yard run from scrimmage, you can plunk the ball down just about anywhere you want, but if it’s third or fourth down and inches, you need to know exactly where forward progress was stopped.
In any football situation, there is a key definition and for spotting the ball you must understand forward progress — the end of advancement of a runner towards the opponent’s goal. The runner’s advancement can end four ways: he is down by rule, his forward movement is stopped, he steps out of bounds or he fumbles the ball out of bounds. A runner is down by rule when any part of his body other than a hand or foot touches the ground and his forward progress is where the ball is when that occurs.
Forward progress determines the dead ball spot. The exact spot is the foremost point of the ball in the direction of the opponent’s goalline. The only time that doesn’t apply is if part of the ball is in team A’s end zone in team A’s possession, then it’s a safety.
Inbounds plays. Although running plays are easier to deal with than passing plays, you can still have difficulty if you don’t have a consistent methodology for determining the forward progress spot.
Play 1: First and 10 on team A’s 20 yardline. A2 takes a handoff and (a) is sent flying by a shoestring tackle; he dives forward and his right shoulder is first to touch the ground at team A’s 27 yardline, (b) is grabbed by the knees which touch the ground at team A’s 25 yardline while the rest of his body is nearly upright, he then thrusts the ball forward and it contacts the ground at team A’s 26 yardline, or (c) is stopped upright at team A’s 23 yardline by B2 and B3. Ruling 1: In (a), the ball is spotted where it was (slightly behind the 27 yardline), when A2’s shoulder touched the ground. In (b), the dead-ball spot is team A’s 25 yardline, which is where the ball was when A2’s knees touched the ground. The thrust to team A’s 26 yardline was with a dead ball. In (c), although A2 was never “downed,” his forward progress was stopped at team A’s 23 yardline.
When the runner gets lost in a cluster of linemen in the middle of the field, it can be difficult to determine the exact forward progress spot. When the runner’s voluntary movement is stopped, the whistle should be blown. Please remember that, on some occasions, defenders will let up when they hear the whistle while the runner fights on giving the appearance of a premature toot.
Play 2: Runner A4 plunges into the pack at his 35 yardline and is contacted by several team B players. A4 is (a) carried back several yards and dumped at his 31 yardline, or (b) pushed backed to his 32 yardline, where he breaks free and continues to run, finally tackled to the ground at his 33 yardline. Ruling 2: In (a), A4’s voluntary movement was stopped at his 35 which is the dead-ball spot. In (b), since A4 was able to break free and continue voluntary movement, his forward progress is where the ball was when he contacted the ground — the 33 yardline.
Play 3: Third and 15 on team A’s 35 yardline. A1 drops back to pass to his 28 yardline; he (a) decides to run and just as he takes a step forward to his 29 yardline, or (b) while he is stationary, is contacted by B6, who firmly grasps him and without being unnecessarily rough, swings him around. A1 comes to the ground at his 23 yardline. Ruling 3: In either case, A1 is given forward progress at the spot he was contacted by B6. In (a), the dead-ball spot is team A’s 29 yardline and in (b) team A’s 28 yardline.
Sideline plays. Tackles near the sideline sometimes confuse officials as to the forward progress spot. It’s important to understand whether the runner was stopped in the field of play (don’t stop the clock) or by going out of bounds (stop the clock).
Play 4: Third and six on team A’s 30 yardline. Runner A3 sweeps around the left end to the sideline. B4 comes over to make the tackle and he (a) shoves A3 from behind so that A3 steps out of bounds at team A’s 46 yardline while moving forward; (b) blocks A3’s path and contacts him at team A’s 45 yardline, knocking him laterally out of bounds at team A’s 45 yardline; or (c) blocks A3’s path and contacts him at team A’s 42 yardline, knocking him backward and out of bounds at team A’s 41 yardline. Ruling 4: In (a), A3’s forward progress was not stopped in the field of play and the dead ball spot is where A3 stepped out of bounds (team A’s 46 yardline). The game clock is stopped when A3 steps out of bounds. In (b) and (c), A3 forward progress was stopped in the field of play at (b) team A’s 45 yardline, or (c) team A’s 42 yardline, and the clock is not stopped unless there is another situation which would cause the clock to stop.
Another difficult spot to determine is when the runner is airborne as he goes over the sideline. Forward progress is where the ball crosses the sideline, not where the ball is when the runner first touches out of bounds.
The spot becomes extremely critical when a touchdown is at stake.
Play 5: Fourth and goal on team B’s six yardline. A3 tries the left side and (a) with his feet still inbounds, extends the ball over the sideline and breaks the plane of the goalline extended. He is then knocked out of bounds by B7 before any part of his body crosses the goalline; or (b) he dives and while totally airborne, the ball breaks the plane of the goalline extended. Ruling 5: In (a), score the touchdown. In (b), no touchdown. A3 is given forward progress where the official judges the ball crossed the sideline.
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