Fed goaltending penalty enforcement

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by flaghappy

If the ball is deflected away from the goalposts it is considered a dead ball and a touchback. If it is deflected between the goalposts and above the crossbar it is a field goal.

Why doesn't 6-3-1(b) produce a touchback no matter the subsequent flight of the ball? What would be the point of the phrase "or in flight touches a K player in R's end zone" in 6-3-1(b) if the touchback weren't automatic? After all, if the ball were deflected away, then the part "after breaking the play of R's goal line is unsuccessful" alone would produce the result you claim.