Quote:
Originally Posted by yankeesfan
play situation:
3rd down and long, team A in shotgun formation. quarterback gets snap and punts, the ball hits his team in the back just across the neutral zone and bounces back to the quarterback who runs with it. they only made it back to the line of scrimmmage on the play. since the ball hit his own player do we have "first touching"? also, once the quarteback recovered the ball should we have blown it dead?
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The issue has everything to do with where the contact, with the ball, was in relation to the NZ. If that spot was judged to be in or behind the NZ, any member of K may advance the ball in whatever fashion they choose (run, pass or Kick) if the ball was recovered behind the line.
If the contact (with the ball) was beyond the NZ, and
before the kick had been grounded you would likely have KCI. If the kick had already been grounded K's touching the kick would be 1st Touching, and they could recover, but not advance the kick, if recovered beyond the NZ.
If K was first to touch a
grounded kick beyond the NZ, that rebounded behind the NZ, they could legally advance the kick (if recovered behind the line), but R would be entitled to choose the results of the play, or accept the ball at the spot of 1st Touching.
The keys are where the ball was touched (behind or beyond the NZ),where the kick was subsequently recovered (behind or beyond the NZ) and whether the kick was in flight or had been grounded before being touched by K.