Fake Field Goal in UT game, how come...?

Good point, I guess you must be right, otherwise every FG/PAT would be down every time they catch the ball.

 

Here is what someone explained to me.

Since the snap holder starts his position on one knee he isn't down when he catches the ball. The reason the QB/RB/WR/TE's are down when their knee touches the ground is because of their natural position when they are lined up to take the snap(which is standing up).

I dont really know though. You'd think by the rules he would be down but then wouldn't every field goal or extra attempt be downed before the ball was kicked?

 

Yeah it is in fact a specfic exception, flip to page 70 of the guide (which is page 71 of the PDF)

http://www.ncaa.org/library/rules/2002/2002_football_rules.pdf

EDIT: here's the text:

E x c e p t i o n : The ball remains alive when an
offensive player has simulated a kick or is in position to kick the ball
held for a place kick by a teammate. The ball may be kicked, passed or
advanced by rule) (A.R. 4-1-3-I).

 

I never understood the down without contact rule in college football.

Does it interfere with the player's studies?

 

Yeah I am a High School Football official here in CA so we use a different rule book than the NCAA, but I am assuming they have similar rules as us in that there is the exception that the holder can get up and run or pass as was stated earlier, and there is also another exception to where the holder can retrieve a muffed/high snap and go back to a knee without being down also.

 

I used to hold for our high school kicker and was instructed NEVER to move after catching it or while the ball was in the air for that specific rule of advancing the ball.

The holder is NOT trying to advance the ball at all. Once he begins advancing, and stops, and his knee is down, then the ball is down at that spot. If there is a "MUFFED" snap, it means the holder NEVER had possession of it, so therefore he wasn't trying to advance it prior to losing it, hence RocketManJosh's explanation on the money.

 

DD--Not that it really answers your question, but one time my high school (a Texas school) was playing a school from Shreveport, LA in Shreveport and in the last minute of the game we went for a fake field goal and scored a touchdown that would have won the game for us. The referees didn't allow the field goal saying that the kicker was down by contact -- basically telling us that in Texas it might have been a touchdown, but in Louisiana our player was down. I have a feeling that the ref was full of crap and offering up some home cooking, but I don't have any evidence that would prove it...but I have seen the player ruled down before.

 

How many place kickers are in Pop Warner?