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Hmmm, we'd better check the rule book (again, I'm talking NCAA).
9-4-1b reads:
"Any player may block a scrimmage kick in the field of play or the endzone."
This would seem to allow the situation described earlier. However, the definition of "blocking a scrimmage kick" is as follows:
2-10-5
"Blocking a scrimmage kick is touching the ball by an opponent of the kicking team in an attempt to prevent the ball from advancing beyond the neutral zone (Rule 6-3-1-b)."
And, just for reference, 6-3-1-b:
"The blocking of a scrimmage kick by an opponent of the kicking team who is no more than three yards beyond the neutral zone is considered to have occurred within or behind that zone (Rule 2-10-5)."
Put all this together and it appears that my first statement was incorrect. Team B is allowed to "block" a scrimmage kick attempt while in the endzone, but "blocking a scrimmage kick" is an attempt to keep it from advancing beyond the neutral zone. The 6-3-1 reference gives us a situation where the Team B player could actually be standing in his endzone and be "blocking" a kick. Since a player standing at the goal post and jumping up to try and prevent the ball from crossing the crossbar is definitely not trying to prevent the ball from crossing the neutral zone, he is by definition "batting" a loose ball. Approved Ruling 9-4-1-I actually describes this situation exactly:
"Team A attempts a field goal from Team Bs 30-yard line. A Team B player in the end zone leaps above the crossbar and bats the ball in flight. The ball goes out of bounds in the end zone. RULING: Foul, safety."
ddhawk, you are correct!
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