You Make the Call - 9/13

[tidehawk]

Team Red has 4th and 5 from the 50 yd line. Red's punter kicks the ball straight up and the ball falls behind the line of scrimmage at the Red 45. Nobody goes for the ball for a second - then the upback for Red picks up the ball and runs it down to the 30 yd line of White. What should the ruling be?

 

[bamafancoop]

I'll take a shot. Since the ball was kicked, even if it does not pass the line of scrimmage it should still be white's ball. There was no mention of the ball hitting anyone so the receiving (white) team should get the ball where the upback for red picked it up.

 

[BamaFlum]

:conf3: I take the cop out approach and agree with BFC.

 

[bamajake]

Let me take a stab at this one. Because the ball did not cross the neutral zone, Red can advance it. First down Red at the 30. (Or more likely at the 15 after the White coach has a coniption fit and gets hit with an unsportsmanlike foul.)

 

[alatider]

I say that since the white did not touch the ball, that it is white's ball at their 30.

 

[BamaCod]

I think the key to this one is the ball not crossing the line of scrimmage. I'll go with Red ball on the White 30 . . ..

 

[Jref]

I say that since the white did not touch the ball, that it is white's ball at their 30.

Suppose White had blocked the ball? (Remember, touching of a scrimmage kick in flight in the expanded neutral zone is ignored for possession purposes.)

 

[NYBamaFan]

Even if White had blocked the punt, as long as they did not touch it again after the block, the ball is theirs at the point that the ball becomes dead - which would be where Red first touched touched it, not the point that they advanced it - I think White ball at the 45, assuming this is where red touched the ball...

 

[bamatex82]

:conf3: I take the cop out approach and agree with BFC.

Ditto

 

[CrimsonJag]

The answer is ..

White ball where the red team first touched it after the kick.

 

[KanBama]

Let me take a stab at this one. Because the ball did not cross the neutral zone, Red can advance it. First down Red at the 30. (Or more likely at the 15 after the White coach has a coniption fit and gets hit with an unsportsmanlike foul.)

I agree with Jake.

 

[Jref]

Even if White had blocked the punt, as long as they did not touch it again after the block, the ball is theirs at the point that the ball becomes dead - which would be where Red first touched touched it, not the point that they advanced it - I think White ball at the 45, assuming this is where red touched the ball...

You'd be correct IF the kick had crossed the expanded neutral zone.

In this case, however, the result is the same whether or not White blocks the kick - either team can recover and advance.

 

[tidehawk]

Jref to the rescue! If the kick does not cross the neutral zone, either team can advance it. So, it is 1st and ten Red from the 30 yd line.

 

[NYBamaFan]

LOL :biggrin: :biggrin:

 

[Jref]

Jref to the rescue! If the kick does not cross the neutral zone, either team can advance it. So, it is 1st and ten Red from the 30 yd line.

Interestingly, if the kicking team (White in this example) recovers the ball behind the neutral zone, they can do anything they like with it -- run, pass, or even kick it again.

You might (rarely) see this when a kick is partially blocked and goes squirting off to the side. But most punters are so shocked that the kick was blocked, they don't have the presence of mind to make another kick.

There are a lot of crazy things that can happen in the kicking game, which is one reason officials spend so much time discussing possibilities and how to officiate them.