SECTION 1. Contact Fouls
ARTICLE 1. Initiating Contact
a. No player shall intentionally contact an opponent or official.
b. No player may step, jump or stand on another player.
c. No player may hold another player.
d. All stationary players have the right of place and opponents must avoid contact.
e. The runner has no right of way and is charged with avoiding contact with opponents.
f. All offense players have the right of way as long as a legal forward pass is still possible and defense players must avoid contact. When the forward pass is in the air all players have the right to play the ball, but not by targeting (playing through) the opponent.
g. All eligible blitzers who have made a legal signal have the right of way and offense players have to avoid contact.
Note: If there is no contact, it still could be a block by the offense player.
PENALTY – 10 yards, enforced from the basic spot. Automatic first down for fouls by Defense. [S38] AR 9-1-1-R-I to VIII, AR 9-1-1-B-I to XIV
ARTICLE 2. Targeting an Opponent
a. Even with the right of way no player shall target an opponent and contact him.
b. No player shall try to attack a ball in possession or take away the ball from the runner.
PENALTY – 10 yards, enforced from the basic spot. Automatic first down for fouls by Defense. [S38]
ARTICLE 3. Game Interference
a. No substitute or coach may contact or interfere in any way with the ball, a player or an official during the game.
PENALTY – 10 yards, enforced from the basic spot. Automatic first down for fouls by Defense. [S38]
SECTION 2. Non-contact Fouls
ARTICLE 1. Unsportsmanlike Acts
a. Use of abusive, threatening or obscene language or gestures, or engaging in such acts that provoke ill will or are demeaning. AR 9-2-1-I
b. If a player is neither returning the ball to the next spot nor leaving it near the dead ball spot.
c. If a player is neither immediately returning a pulled flag to the opponent nor leaving it near the spot where it has been pulled. The players should prefer to return the flag to the opponent.
PENALTY – 10 yards, enforced from the dead ball spot, administer as dead ball foul. [S27]
ARTICLE 2. Unfair Acts
a. No player shall block an opponent.
PENALTY – 5 yards, enforced from the basic spot. [S43]
b. No runner shall jump or dive.
PENALTY – 5 yards, also loss of down if by offense before team possession changes, enforced from the spot of foul. [S51]
c. No runner shall commit flag guarding. AR 9-2-2-I to VI
PENALTY – 5 yards, also loss of down if by offense before team possession changes, enforced from the spot of foul. [S52]
d. No player shall pull a flag from an opponent other than the runner or an opponent who simulates being the runner. AR 9-2-2-VII to IX
PENALTY – 5 yards, enforced from the basic spot. [S52]
e. No player shall intentionally kick a pass. This foul does not change the status of the pass.
PENALTY – 5 yards, enforced from the basic spot. [S19]
f. Participation by 6 or more players is illegal.
PENALTY – 5 yards, spot of foul is the scrimmage line, enforced from the basic spot. [S22]
g. Coaches and substitutes may not be outside the team area during a down.
PENALTY – 5 yards, spot of foul is the scrimmage line, enforced from the scrimmage line. [S27]
h. No player wearing illegal equipment or missing mandatory equipment shall be permitted to play. A player with a bleeding wound must leave the field.
Players have to leave the field immediately after being ordered to do so by an official.
VIOLATION – Charged timeout. [S3] Penalty – 5 yards, if no timeout left. [S21]
SECTION 3. Substitutions
ARTICLE 1. Substitution Procedures
a. Any number of legal substitutes for the offense team may enter the game to replace a teammate after the ball is dead and before the snapper touches the ball.
b. Any number of legal substitutes for the defense team may enter the game to replace a teammate after the ball is dead and before the ball is snapped.
PENALTY – 5 yards, spot of foul is the scrimmage line, enforced from the scrimmage line. [S22]