Quote:
Originally Posted by With_Two_Flakes
More examples.
Under NCAA rules.....
1) if a ball is fumbled forward and it goes out of bounds then that ball is coming back to the spot of the fumble. The rationale being that the offense don't get to make yards by a mistake (that "forward fumble2 might have been deliberate to gain yards). if he fumble was backward and out of bounds, then where it went out. Rationale - you made a mistake, you can lose yards.
2) if it is 4th down or a PAT and the ball is fumbled, only the kid who fumbled it can advance it after a recovery. If one of his teammates recovers it, the play is over and if that recovery spot is ahead of the beanbag, then it is coming back to the beanbagged spot.
I've had that happen to me once in 25 years and of course Murphy's Law said it would make a difference. A teammate recovered it and that was enough yards for a 1st down. Brought it back to the beanbag, not enough yards and turned over to Team B. Team A coach had never heard of that rule, only believed we got it right when I showed it to him in the Rule book after the game.
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One play I've wondered about for a long time as to how it'd be officiated, since #2 above was adopted, is a desperation no-look backward pass. Does it count as a pass or a fumble if a player being tackled lets the ball go backward in a haphazard way, and it hits the ground? Do you rule that to be throwing the ball, hence a pass, or some other loss of possession, hence a fumble? I guess what I'm really looking for is whether the benefit of the doubt (as to whether the motion of the ball is a throw) goes to the player getting rid of the ball or the opponents, when the 4th down funble rule is a consideration. Is it the same amount of presumption as would be the case for distinguishing between an illegal forward pass and a fumble, or different?