Expert: Vic Winnek - 9/18/2011

Question
I've heard it described that the referee is part of the field and both teams have to deal with them physically being in the field of play.  Having said that, what is the ruling if a pass hits a referee before touching anything else?  Is the ball immediately dead?  If not and they are obviously not a defensive player, could it be considered pass interference if the ball hits the referee and then the defensive player takes out the receiver before he has the opportunity to catch the ball?

Answer
Mike,
Thanks for your question, this is an excellent question that I believe causes some fans and coaches confusion.  I hope to clear it up for you and explain it so you understand the concepts.  The simple answer to your question is the ball remains a live and there is no DPI but there could be a personal foul for the contact by the defender.

The ball touching game officials and players do not cause the ball to become dead.  In very general, simplistic layman terms one might consider the game officials as part of the field.  If a pass strikes an official before touching anything else the ball remains live [it is not immediately dead]. Certain pass restrictions are then terminated once the ball strikes/touches the official.

Pass interference rules do not apply after the pass has been touched anywhere inbounds by an inbounds player or has touched an official (7-3-9). If an opponent is fouled, the penalty is for the foul and not pass interferenceSpecifically Rules 7-3-9 and  7-3-8-a addresses your question. Rule 7-3-8 states: "Illegal Contact and Pass Interference During a down in which a legal forward pass crosses the neutral zone, illegal contact by Team A and Team B players is prohibited from the time the ball is snapped until it is touched by any player or an official"   After the pass has been touched, any player may execute a legal block during the remaining flight of the pass.
Tackling or grasping a receiver or any other intentional contact before he touches the pass is evidence that the tackler is disregarding the ball and is therefore illegal. Tackling or running into a receiver when a forward pass obviously is underthrown or overthrown is disregarding the ball and is illegal. This conduct is not pass interference but a violation of the personal foul Rules/unnecessary roughness foul in Rule 9-1-2 and is penalized 15 yards from the previous spot plus a first down. Flagrant offenders shall be disqualified.  

The rules that govern your question are in Rule 7.  Rule 7-3-4 states : "No eligible offensive receiver who goes out of bounds during a down shall touch a legal forward pass in the field of play or end zones or while airborne until it has been touched by an opponent or official" Rule 7-3-5 provides: "Eligibility Gained or Regained When a Team B player or an official touches a legal forward pass, all players become eligible"   

AS indicated above the answer generally to your question is Yes; it can be said that in some cases when a player or the ball contacts an official it has the same affect/effect as touching the field. (Rule 2-15-7 when a scrimmage kick has crossed the neutral zone when it touches the ground, a player, an official or anything beyond the neutral zone);  2-19-2 Forward Pass a forward pass is determined by the point where the ball first strikes the ground, a player, an official or anything beyond the spot of the pass; 2-19-3 a pass crossing the NZ A legal forward pass has crossed the neutral zone when it first strikes the ground, a player, an official or anything beyond the neutral zone inbounds. It has not crossed the neutral zone when it first strikes the ground, a player, an official or anything in or behind the neutral zone inbounds; 4-1-3-k Live ball becoming dead when it touches anything other than: When a live ball not in player possession touches anything inbounds other than a player, a player’s equipment, an official, an official’s equipment or the ground; 4-2-1-a A player or an airborne player is out of bounds when any part of his person touches anything, other than another player or game official, on or outside a boundary line; 4-2-2; 4-2-3 A ball not in player possession, other than a kick that scores a field goal, is out of bounds when it touches the ground, a player, a game official or anything else that is on or outside a boundary line; 6-1-3 No Team A player may touch a free-kicked ball until after It touches any player, the ground, an official or anything beyond Team B’s restraining line; 7-3-11 No originally ineligible player while inbounds shall intentionally touch a legal forward pass until it has touched an opponent or an official; 8-7-2 No originally ineligible player while inbounds shall intentionally touch a legal forward pass until it has touched an opponent or an official,(The original impetus is not changed when a ball at rest in the end zone is moved when touched by an official or a player); The kicker of a free kick may not be blocked until he has advanced five yards beyond his restraining line or the kick has touched a player, an official or the ground; No substitute, coach, authorized attendant or any person subject to the rules, other than a player or official, may interfere in any way with the ball, a player or an official while the ball is in play; An eligible player of the passing team legally may use his hand(s) and/or arm(s) to ward off or push an opponent in an attempt to reach a loose ball after a legal forward pass has been touched by any player or official(Rules 7-3-5, 7-3-8, 7-3-9 and 7-3-11); etc...)

Some examples are:
I.  A legal forward pass beyond the neutral zone is tipped or muffed by an eligible receiver of either team or glances off an official. Then, while the pass is still in flight, either Team A or Team B holds or otherwise fouls an eligible opponent who is beyond the neutral zone.
RULING: Interference rules do not apply after the pass has been touched. Penalize as a foul during a loose ball. Penalty—10 or 15 yards from the previous spot (Rule 9-3-6).

II.  Ball carrier A1 is running inbounds near the sideline when he is contacted by a substitute of Team B, who is on the sideline.
RULING: Rule 4-2-1 states a player is out of bounds when any part of his person touches anything other than a player or an official. Penalty—15 yards or other illegal-interference penalties (Rules 9-1-5-a and 9-2-3).