in K's EZ

[Texas Aggie]

A/K on own 2 yard line 4/10. Punter waiting for snap as he stands very close to end line. As ball is snapped punter steps back out of the EZ and then back in, then catches the snap and punts it to K25 yd line, where R makes fair catch. score K-10, R-7 and time expires in the 4th qtr during the down.
Ruling/options?

NCAA: Legal play; game is over.

A/K on own 2 yard line 3/10. Punter stays inbounds in his own EZ, but snap is high and punter jumps up and bats the ball forward out of the EZ into field of play to the 1yd line where A/K26 recovers and is downed.
Ruling/options?

NCAA: Foul for illegal batting of a backward pass by Team A. Safety.

Same down and distance as above. Low snap, ball skips on ground towards punter who is in his own EZ, he kicks it off the ground to K35 yd line where it is returned for an apparent TD by R. But during the return R55 blocks K12 in back at K10 yd line.
Ruling/options?

NCAA: Foul by team A for illegally kicking the ball. Foul by Team B after the change in possession for the block in the back. Team B may decline Team A's foul and accept possession on the A20. Otherwise, penalties offset and the down if replayed.

[whitehat]

Aggie, curious about "legal play" on #1 for NCAA. Can a player step out of bounds and then back in and participate/touch the ball without it being Ill participation?

[Legacy Zebra]

Technically #1 is illegal in NCAA as well, but it's not illegal participation. (There is no 15 yard illegal participation in NCAA anymore.) By the letter of the rule, the punter has fouled because no member of the kicking team may go out of bounds and return in bounds (unless blocked out) during a scrimmage kick down. But the spirit of this rule is for gunners going downfield to cover a kick, not for a punter who accidentally goes out of bounds before he even kicks it. In "test world" this is a five yard penalty that can be enforced either at the previous spot or where the dead ball belongs to B. In "real world", this is nothing.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by Legacy Zebra

Technically #1 is illegal in NCAA as well, but it's not illegal participation. (There is no 15 yard illegal participation in NCAA anymore.) By the letter of the rule, the punter has fouled because no member of the kicking team may go out of bounds and return in bounds (unless blocked out) during a scrimmage kick down. But the spirit of this rule is for gunners going downfield to cover a kick, not for a punter who accidentally goes out of bounds before he even kicks it. In "test world" this is a five yard penalty that can be enforced either at the previous spot or where the dead ball belongs to B. In "real world", this is nothing.

Interesting. What if he wants to take advantage of this, and shifts into a position behind his end line, waiting for the snap? And what if he catches the snap while his feet are off the ground, last having touched OOB, and then touches in bounds as he completes his steps to punt?

[brettdj]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

Interesting. What if he wants to take advantage of this, and shifts into a position behind his end line, waiting for the snap? And what if he catches the snap while his feet are off the ground, last having touched OOB, and then touches in bounds as he completes his steps to punt?

2nd question. In NCAA you need to reestablish position inbounds to be considered in bounds. So in the instance he steps out and has not returned in bounds there would be a safety for being OOB.

[Legacy Zebra]

Then we have an illegal formation for a player being out of bounds at the snap. The ball is dead as soon as he touches it since he is an out of bounds player touching a loose ball. Since his team is responsible for the ball being behind their goal line, it is a safety. The ILF can be enforced from the previous spot or declined and B gets 2 points.

[whitehat]

Thanks NCAA fellers :-)