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0:09 left in the game (4th quarter)
Offense on about the 50 yard line. 
Quarterback drops back and throws the ball to end zone and receiver catches the ball in end zone. 
Clock is now at 0:00. 

Flag was thrown on the play for “illegal touch” by receiver who caught the football in the end zone. 
He stepped out of bounds on his own just inside the 5 yard line. 

Officials negated the TD and placed the ball on the offenses 45 yard line. 
And gave the offense an untimed play. 

Shouldn’t the game have been over on the penalty on the offense?

I know the game can’t end on a defensive penalty unless penalty is declined by offense.    (RSN Football Board)

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If I'm not mistaken, for NFHS, the game doesn't end if there is ANY accepted penalty as time expires ... regardless of offense or defense.  In this case here, defense could accept the penalty and offense gets one additional play, with the mark-off, or they can decline the penalty.  In the case of declining the penalty, the TD stands and the offense also gets the shot at the extra point attempt.  If the game is within 9 points, then the defense is pretty much forced to accept that penalty and give the offense another shot ... with five yards tacked on.

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If he stepped out on his own, he technically commits illegal participation. That's 15 yards. Play has to be accepted to negate the touchdown, therefore the offense gets to run another play since we can not end on an accepted penalty. If they decline and the game is within 8 points before said score, they have an opportunity to run the PAT. If it has no change on the outcome, such as a team taking the lead as time expires or trails by more than two after the touchdown, the PAT is not attempted.

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2 hours ago, miner_35 said:

If he stepped out on his own, he technically commits illegal participation. That's 15 yards. Play has to be accepted to negate the touchdown, therefore the offense gets to run another play since we can not end on an accepted penalty. If they decline and the game is within 8 points before said score, they have an opportunity to run the PAT. If it has no change on the outcome, such as a team taking the lead as time expires or trails by more than two after the touchdown, the PAT is not attempted.

Is there not an exception for illegal participation? I believe there is also some lenancy in interpretation if say a coach or player came onto the field to blatantly affect the outcome of the game...

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1 hour ago, hhpatriot04 said:

Is there not an exception for illegal participation? I believe there is also some lenancy in interpretation if say a coach or player came onto the field to blatantly affect the outcome of the game...

ART. 2... No player shall intentionally go out of bounds during the down and:

a. Return to the field;

b. Intentionally touch the ball;

c. Influence the play; or

d. Otherwise participate.

<^>Bookmark this article                             

ART. 3... No replaced player, substitute, coach, athletic trainer or other attendant shall hinder an opponent, touch the ball, influence the play or otherwise participate.

<^>Bookmark this article                             

ART. 4... It is illegal participation:

a. When any player, replaced player, substitute, coach, athletic trainer or other attendant enters and participates during a down.

b. If an injured player is not replaced for at least one down; unless the halftime intermission or overtime intermission occurs.

c. To have 12 or more players participating at the snap or free kick.

d. To use a player, replaced player, substitute, coach, athletic trainer or other attendant in a substitution or pretended substitution to deceive opponents at or immediately before the snap or free kick.

e. For a player to be lying on the ground to deceive opponents at or immediately before the snap or free kick.

f. For a disqualified player to re-enter the game.

g. For a player whose helmet comes completely off during a down to continue to participate beyond the immediate action in which the player is engaged.
2021-22 NFHS Football Rules Book - NFHS © 2021

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That’s correct. This is illegal participation, not illegal touching, since any player who is eligible at the snap remains eligible throughout the down. The foul occurred during a loose ball play, so the 15 yd. penalty is enforced from the previous spot. The offense then gets to run an untimed down after enforcement.

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20 hours ago, foxbat said:

If I'm not mistaken, for NFHS, the game doesn't end if there is ANY accepted penalty as time expires ... regardless of offense or defense. 

That is about 95% true. Penalties that include loss of down are exceptions. No extension of the period for those fouls. Also, no extension of the period for fouls that result in a safety.

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2 hours ago, Bobref said:

That is about 95% true. Penalties that include loss of down are exceptions. No extension of the period for those fouls. Also, no extension of the period for fouls that result in a safety.

I think there's also a provision for "purposeful fouls" that are expected to extend the period ... like a coach running out on a sideline and smacking an opposing playing who might be getting ready to tackle his back.  I know it sounds crazy, but we've seen it before ... and crazier.

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21 hours ago, Bobref said:

That’s correct. This is illegal participation, not illegal touching, since any player who is eligible at the snap remains eligible throughout the down. The foul occurred during a loose ball play, so the 15 yd. penalty is enforced from the previous spot. The offense then gets to run an untimed down after enforcement.

Out of curiosity, is it illegal participation instead of an illegal touch because the WR is no longer considered an eligible player once he steps out of bounds without being forced and thus cannot participate in the play? 

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2 hours ago, crimsonace1 said:

Out of curiosity, is it illegal participation instead of an illegal touch because the WR is no longer considered an eligible player once he steps out of bounds without being forced and thus cannot participate in the play? 

It is not illegal touching because, regardless of the fact that he is guilty of illegal participation, the receiver was eligible at the snap, so he remains eligible throughout the play. It’s a foul for IP whether they throw the ball to him or not. Since he remains eligible, you could actually have IP and DPI as offsetting penalties.

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6 hours ago, foxbat said:

I think there's also a provision for "purposeful fouls" that are expected to extend the period ... like a coach running out on a sideline and smacking an opposing playing who might be getting ready to tackle his back.  I know it sounds crazy, but we've seen it before ... and crazier.

This sort of thing is covered by the “unfair acts” rule. If someone commits an unfair act for which there is no specific rules coverage, the Referee awards any penalty he believes is equitable, including the award of a score. But it has nothing to do directly with extending the period. The example you gave was a nonplayer foul, so it wouldn’t extend the period anyway.

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On 9/20/2021 at 8:05 AM, Bobref said:

That is about 95% true. Penalties that include loss of down are exceptions. No extension of the period for those fouls. Also, no extension of the period for fouls that result in a safety.

It's because of this that a team trying to take an intentional safety at the end of a game can hold in the end zone, because the foul results in a safety, which ends the game (and a declined penalty, assuming the offensive team downs the ball in its own end zone, would also end the game), correct? 

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2 minutes ago, crimsonace1 said:

It's because of this that a team trying to take an intentional safety at the end of a game can hold in the end zone, because the foul results in a safety, which ends the game (and a declined penalty, assuming the offensive team downs the ball in its own end zone, would also end the game), correct? 

If the game clock expires during the down, that is correct.

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10 minutes ago, Bobref said:

If the game clock expires during the down, that is correct.

I remember that coming up during the 2016 Bucket game. IU was up 26-22 and had fourth down deep in its own territory in the final seconds. Rather than risk a blocked punt, they took an intentional safety on the game's final play. IU radio analyst Buck Suhr says "you can hold all you want in the end zone here because, even with the penalty, the game's over if you do. It's a safety either way." 

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16 hours ago, crimsonace1 said:

I remember that coming up during the 2016 Bucket game. IU was up 26-22 and had fourth down deep in its own territory in the final seconds. Rather than risk a blocked punt, they took an intentional safety on the game's final play. IU radio analyst Buck Suhr says "you can hold all you want in the end zone here because, even with the penalty, the game's over if you do. It's a safety either way." 

Not completely true any longer with NCAA rules. The referee has the discretion to flag the offense head coach for an unsportsmanlike conduct foul and the hold and reset the game clock back to what it was before the snap. That would still give the defense the safety and half the distance on the subsequent free kick. The impetus was a series of plays a few years ago where the defense was continually holding the receivers. They were OK with the 10-yard penalty, but this burned clock and prevented the offense from scoring. The circumstances would have to be pretty obvious, and I don't believe it's been done often. But they do now have rule support.

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