[With_Two_Flakes]

You are correct that if the ball is touched by R before it touches in the EZ, then the ball will still be live in the EZ. Of course the impetus is still with A's kick so it's not gonna be a safety (which many coaches believe, bless 'em!). If he catches it or recovers his muff in the EZ, give him the opportunity to run it out if he really wants to give up the guaranteed 20 yds.

NCAA Rule references you asked for, so here they are....

6-1-7. When a free kick untouched by Team B touches the ground on or behind Team B's goal line, the ball becomes dead and belongs to Team B.

6-3-9. The ball becomes dead and belongs to the team defending its goal line when a scrimmage kick that has crossed the neutral zone is subsequently untouched by Team B before touching the ground on or behind Team B's goal line.


In FED, the key difference in wording is when it says "breaks the plane of R's goal line". I think it is 6-3-1-a, at least that is what it is in my 2007 Fed book the latest I have. I only get over to the US to do Fed games every 3 or 4 years, we use NCAA rules over here in Europe.