USA Football Rules Editor Bill LeMonnier is a former college referee who currently serves as an ESPN NCAA rules analyst. Click here to ask Bill a question. Make sure to put “Ask the Official” in the subject line.

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I coach a 13-year-old youth football team. We had a fourth-and-goal situation where my running back was tackled at the half-yard line. During the tackle, he was pulled backward by the facemask to prevent him from scoring.

A flag was thrown, but the referee said that his knee was down just before he got pulled by the faskmask, so it was a personal foul and half the distance to the goal line, but it was the other team’s ball. Is this correct?

By high school rules, if the fourth down play is over and the offense did not receive a new first down via the penalty the ball belongs to the defense, and any penalty assessed after the whistle is administered at that point.

The referee’s actions were correct. In my opinion, though, this is an unfair situation that rules committees need to address. Give continuing action and award the offense fourth down over.

If the facemask penalty had occurred during the play, the offense would still have fourth down at the half-yard line since that penalty does not carry an automatic first down. In the NCAA, all personal fouls by the defense include an automatic first down.

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At the high school level, if an extra point is blocked backward and is caught by the placeholder who is then tackled, is that an official tackle or was the play dead as soon as the ball was blocked back to the placeholder?

I’m not a stats guy, but I would assume by high school rules that as soon as it obvious the PAT kick has failed, the play is over. So no stat for the recovery or tackle.