Touchback or Not

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

FAN Question: Do other codes have a different ruling (in which the location of the feet do matter)?

NFL. Originally it was written to state that in case of doubt as to whether the ball was in the end zone, if it was touched by or touched a player of the kicking team touching the ground in the opposing end zone, it was in the end zone. Officials then began ruling on that basis exclusively, whether there was actual doubt or not as to the position of the ball, so NFL codified it that way rather than based on the position of the ball when the ball isn't touching the ground.

In NFL rules, then, it's a goal line (on the ground) rather than a plane that decides this issue as in Fed & NCAA, and position of a player touching the ground takes precedence over that of a ball. So a player who last touched ground in the field of play can save the ball from a position over the end zone, while a player of the attacking team who last touched ground in goal can produce a touchback even with the ball in the field of play, even if the ball is on the ground.