[Rich]

Originally Posted by prosec34

I watched a varsity high school game last week and thought the officials might've messed up this new rule. A is punting deep in their own territory when the center snaps the ball over the punter's head. In attempting to avoid B scoring a touchdown since the ball is bounching in the end zone, the punter kicks the ball out of the end zone for a safety.

The officials flagged the illegal kicking, but made B decline the penalty for the safety (of course, the penalty inside A's end zone makes for an automatic safety anyway).

I checked the rule book, and the provision for applying penalties on kickoffs only applies for touchdowns and field goals. It wasn't added to safeties. Perhaps it should be, because in this instance, the punter has every incentive to violate the rule and kick the ball.

I always thought it was stupid that this was a rule violation in the first place. It's the smart thing for K to do, actually, taking the safety.