In American football, “dead ball” is a term coined to describe a ball that is not in play. Usually, this term is used between football plays, but may also be used in cases such as:
1. A scoring play takes place, the ball is fumbled out of bounds
2. A player carrying the ball runs out of bounds
3. A kick travels out of bounds
4. The player carrying the ball is downed
5. A forward pass is not caught and travels out of bounds or touches the ground
6. A free kick or kickoff goes to the kicking team
7. A kick hits the crossbar or goal post while in flight
8. A kick travels out of bounds