Question: In the Portsmouth-Souhegan game earlier this year, Portsmouth quarterback Mike Fransoso threw a touchdown pass that was called back because he crossed the line of scrimmage before he threw the ball. I've been told that it is legal for a quarterback to cross the line of scrimmage and then retreat behind the line of scrimmage before throwing a pass. Is this correct?

Answer: Yes, it's correct. A legal forward pass is a pass during a scrimmage down where both feet of the passer are in or behind the neutral zone, and the pass is made prior to any change of possession. Only one legal forward pass may be made during a down. There is nothing in the rules to prohibit the passer from crossing the neutral zone, then retreating behind the neutral zone and throwing a forward pass. The penalty for an illegal forward pass is 5 yards from the spot of the pass plus a loss of down. The loss of down aspect has no significance if the line to gain is reached after enforcement of the 5-yard penalty, or if the pass is made after a change of possession.

Question: Kickoffs that reach the end zone are touchbacks. Is the same true on a field goal attempt, or can the defense/receiving team return the ball?

-- Lowell, Mass.

Answer: An unsuccessful field goal attempt that breaks the plane of the goal line is a touchback. A field goal attempt is a scrimmage kick, as is a punt. The only difference between the two is that a field goal is worth
three points if the ball passes through the uprights.

Question: With the playoffs here I'd like to ask Mr. Hall to explain any special rules that apply in overtime. I don't believe the defense can score in OT, but could the game end on a safety? I'm assuming one of the teams chooses which end of the field overtime will played at. Would this be the case if one end of the field was in much worse shape than the other, or would the referees make the decision in this case?

-- Exeter

Answer:  There's a whole set of rules that apply to overtime. New Hampshire uses the 10-yard overtime procedure. Prior to the start of the overtime, there is a coin toss. The winner of the toss gets to elect whether to go on offense or defense first, or to select the end of the field on which the overtime will be played. The loser of the toss gets the remaining option. The team going on offense first is awarded a first and goal from the 10-yard line, unless there are any carryover penalties from regulation to be enforced (like dead ball fouls, fouls by the defense during the last timed down of regulation if there was a successful field goal to end regulation, fouls by the defense during a succesful try which ends regulation play, or any unsportsmanlike conduct or nonplayer fouls). In overtime, it's always first and goal for the team in possession, even if an automatic first down is awarded following a foul.  For example, if Team A lost 20 yards on its first play of overtime, then there was defensive pass interference on the second play, it would be Team A's ball, first and goal from the 15-yard line. The team on offense has a series of four downs to score. They can score by touchdown or field goal, or they can score a safety (highly unlikely, but theoretically possible). If they score a touchdown, there is a try for point(s) following the touchdown. Following that possession, the other team is then given a series of four downs to score. If the score is tied at the end of the overtime period, the above sequence is repeated. The team that lost the toss prior to the first overtime period is given the first choice (offense, defense or end of the field on which play will occur). There will continue to be overtime periods using the procedure outlined above until a winner is declared. The defense can score during overtime, but the chances of that happening are remote because the ball becomes dead and the series ends as soon as the defense gains possession. Therefore, the only way the defense can score is to tackle an offensive runner in the offensive team's end zone (a safety) or recover a fumble or intercept a pass in the offensive team's end zone (a touchdown). Remember that the offensive team's end zone is usually 90-yards away to start overtime. If the defense scores during overtime, the game is ended.

Question: I'm not sure I have this play completely accurate, but here's how I observed it: As the offensive team (I'll call them the Blue Team) lined up for a play on the White Team's 1-yard line, the White Team's coach thought he had 12 players on the field. He yelled for a player to leave the field, but the player didn't have time to get to the sideline and left through the back of the end zone instead. The Blue Team scored a touchdown, and the White Team had only 10 players on the field. I have two questions: 1) Is this a penalty if the team did have 12 players on the field?  2) Is it a penalty even though the player who left through the end zone was only
the 11th player? Thank you.

-- Bow

Answer:  The answer to your first question is "yes," and the answer to your second question is "it depends."  From your description, I'm assuming that you mean he left the field by crossing the end line rather than going
across the sideline in the end zone.  Whether a foul occurred is dependent on when the player left the field -- i.e., before or after the snap. If the 11th player crossed the end line or his opponent's sideline prior to the snap, it's a dead ball foul for illegal substitution (5-yard penalty). However, if he crossed the end line after the snap, there would be no foul as long as he didn't return to the field during the down. If there were 12 players on the field and the 12th player crossed the end line or his opponent's sideline prior to the snap, it's a dead ball foul for illegal substitution, as in the case of an 11th player crossing the end line or opponent's sideline. A player, replaced player or substitute who leaves the field must exit on the side on which his team box is located. If there
were 12 players on the field at the snap and the 12th player left the field during the down, it would be a foul at the snap for illegal participation (15-yards from the previous spot).