Rules review video: Illegal kicking, defensive pass interference, and intentional grounding

2026 Media Video #1

National coordinator of college football officiating Ron Snodgrass posted his first media video of the season, breaking down rules and interpretations from Week 1 of the college football season. Snodgrass takes over the role following Steve Shaw’s recent retirement.

• Illegal kicking (on a punt). The snap on a punt sails over the punter’s head, and at the 18 yard line he intentionally kicks the loose ball back into his own end zone. This is an illegal kick, and the referee correctly flags the foul. Because the enforcement includes a loss of down, the receiving team had the option to decline the penalty and accept the safety, or accept the penalty and take over with a first and goal at the 9 yard line. The receiving team elected to take the two points from the safety and the ensuing free kick instead.
• Defensive pass interference. The on-field ruling was defensive pass interference, as the defender restricts the receiver’s arm while the pass is in the air. Replay reviewed whether the pass was touched near the line of scrimmage, a reviewable aspect of the play, and confirmed a defensive player did touch the ball. Once a forward pass is touched by an eligible player, pass interference restrictions end for all players, so the key question is whether the defender’s restriction clearly occurred before the touch. Since the action happened near the line of scrimmage and the restriction was not significantly prior to the touch, replay correctly overturns the call to no foul on the play. Replay can only review the objective aspects of the play, such as if and when the ball is touched.
• Illegal kicking (in the end zone). The deep returner gives a fair catch signal on a punt but muffs the ball. The loose ball rolls into the end zone, where another member of the receiving team intentionally kicks it out of bounds. A muff does not end a kick, meaning the ball is still treated loose ball play until it’s caught, recovered, or goes out of bounds, so the result of the play before penalty enforcement is a touchback. The illegal kicking penalty on the receiving team qualifies for post-scrimmage kick (PSK) enforcement, which has a basic spot of the end of the kick, which is the 20-yard line due to it being a touchback. However, since the foul occurs behind the basic spot, it is enforced from the spot of the foul, and since this spot was in the end zone the play results in a safety.
• Roughing the passer. The quarterback releases the pass and is then hit by the defender. While the initial contact is not necessarily late, the defender continues through the quarterback, forcibly drives him into the ground, and lands on him with most of his body weight in a rough and punishing manner. This additional action makes it roughing the passer, and the foul is correctly called.
• Intentional grounding. Snodgrass showed two plays. On the first, a bad snap sails over the quarterback’s head, forcing him to retreat. The tackle box extends from the neutral zone all the way to the end line, and because the quarterback gets outside the (extended) tackle box before throwing the ball beyond the line of scrimmage, both requirements to avoid an intentional grounding penalty are met and there is no foul. On the second play, a quarterback attempts a forward pass while being tackled and the ball comes out in an unusual manner. Officials let the play continue, and the referee correctly rules it a forward pass, not a fumble, resulting in an incomplete pass. Because the passer faces an imminent loss of yardage and throws into an area with no eligible receiver, intentional grounding is correctly called. Replay can assist on the location of the pass, and since the release point is clearly in the field of play, no safety is awarded.