Quote:
Originally posted by mikesears
Question 2:
3/25 @ A-7. A1 lines up behind center in shotgun formation. A55 snaps the ball the A1 and the ball rebounds high into the air after hitting A1 directly in the helmet. Just after the ball strikes the ground at the A-3, it takes a funny bounce away from A's goal line (so it is rolling forward), when B99 muffs tries to pick the ball up and muffs the ball back into A's endzone where A1 falls on the ball.
Ruling on this play?
[/B]
|
REPLY: Just my opinion...When A puts the ball on the ground near his own goal line, I want to make sure that he assumes as much risk as possible for it being there. Just "taking a funny bounce away from A's goal line" -- in my opinion -- is not a sufficient reason to relieve A of the responsibility for what might happen in the scramble to recover the loose ball. I'm much more inclined to
not attribute a new force to B's muff in the play as Mike laid it out. For me, that ball better be "rocketing" away from A's goal line or be at rest for me to consider B's muff to be a new force. The whims of a bouncing football should not be enough to give A a cheap touchback when they put the ball on the ground deep in their own territory. Like others have said, you really need to see this play to properly rule, but as posted, I would be inclined to call this a safety (no new force).
Just a note...in NCAA rules for this play, the ball
must be at rest for a new force (impetus) to be applied by player contact with the ball.