illegal batting penalty?

[cornchild]

Here's a call I need some help understanding:

Green has the ball on their own 45 yard line, it is 4th and 13 and they are back to punt. Green snaps the ball over the punter's head and the Green punter is hit by Red and the ball continues to bounce. Red tries to grab it and bats it from the 7 yard line into the endzone where Red recovers for a touchdown. A flag is thrown and the officials call "illegal batting". It was my understanding that it was a five yard penalty from the spot of the foul. The officials mark off fifteen yards from Green's line of scrimmage and give Green a first down on Red's 40 yard line. Green went down to score and won the game by a touchdown. I am baffled.

[Thom Coste]

Originally posted by cornchild
Here's a call I need some help understanding:

Green has the ball on their own 45 yard line, it is 4th and 13 and they are back to punt. Green snaps the ball over the punter's head and the Green punter is hit by Red and the ball continues to bounce. Red tries to grab it and bats it from the 7 yard line into the endzone where Red recovers for a touchdown. A flag is thrown and the officials call "illegal batting". It was my understanding that it was a five yard penalty from the spot of the foul. The officials mark off fifteen yards from Green's line of scrimmage and give Green a first down on Red's 40 yard line. Green went down to score and won the game by a touchdown. I am baffled.

By definition, batting is an intentional act. That having been said, the covering official must have ruled that Red intended to bat the ball into the end zone to gain an advantage. OK - that's a judgement call.

Illegal batting (Fed rules) carries a 15 yard penalty (Rule 9, Section 7, Penalty). Under the all-but-one principle, a foul by the defense is enforced from the basic spot. By rule this play was a loose-ball play (10-3-1) and the basic spot for a foul that occurs during a loose-ball play (10-4-2b)is the previous spot (where the ball was last snapped).

So in your play, this illegal batting foul by Red will be enforced from Green's 45 yard line, 15 yards toward Red's goal line to Red's 40. Since the penalty placed the ball beyond the line-to-gain, a new series (1st down)is awarded to Green.

Simple, right?

Thom

[Schmidt MJ]

Originally posted by cornchild
Here's a call I need some help understanding:

Green has the ball on their own 45 yard line, it is 4th and 13 and they are back to punt. Green snaps the ball over the punter's head and the Green punter is hit by Red and the ball continues to bounce. Red tries to grab it and bats it from the 7 yard line into the endzone where Red recovers for a touchdown. A flag is thrown and the officials call "illegal batting". It was my understanding that it was a five yard penalty from the spot of the foul. The officials mark off fifteen yards from Green's line of scrimmage and give Green a first down on Red's 40 yard line. Green went down to score and won the game by a touchdown. I am baffled.

Cornchild,

Score another good call for the refs on this one. This is a penalty during a loose ball play. All penalties occurring during a loose ball play are penalized from the previous spot (the LOS in this case). And yes, illegal batting is 15 yard penalty. Therefore step off 15 yards form the LOS and it leaves the offense in possession 2 yards beyond the line-to-gain which is a first down.