Safety or touchback

[chapmaja]

There is a video from a Michigan playoff game (Mlive) questioning the ending of a HS district final game.

Score is defense by 1 point. Team A (offense) snaps the ball from the 35 yard line and throws a Hail Mary into the endzone. It is intercepted by team B about 5 yards into the endzone and the defender runs out of the back of the endzone. It does appear his momentum carried him out, but does that even matter?

The officials got together for a supposed lengthy discussion before ruling it a touchback.

My understanding is that if a ball is intercepted in the endzone and becomes dead in the endzone (including by being carried out of the endzone) it is a touchback, unless the defender has carried the ball into the field of play then returned to the endzone.

The momentum tum rule would only apply if the ball was intercepted between the 5 and goal line then carried into the endzone.

[Robert Goodman]

By your description it could only be a touchback. Who knows what the lengthy discussion was about? Maybe just over the fact of possession.

[HLin NC]

It was a touchback. Officials were just making sure. Nothing wrong in coming together. Sometimes on a play like that, a seed of doubt can enter one's mind.

Mlive is looking for clicks on their webpage.

[CT1]

Obvious touchback. Offense put the ball into the opponent’s EZ, where it became dead.

[Texas Aggie]

Fed and NCAA agree here.

Keep in mind that once a player is in the end zone and the ball is still live (i.e. no touchdown), it doesn't matter how the ball becomes dead in the end zone. He can be tackled; he can take a knee; he can run out the back or the side. He can run around for the entire quarter before being downed. None of that has any bearing on what the result of the play will be. It is going to be a touchback or safety based on who put the ball into the end zone (impetus in NCAA -- same in Fed??).

[chapmaja]

Originally Posted by HLin NC

Mlive is looking for clicks on their webpage.

Absolutely no argument about that.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by Texas Aggie

It is going to be a touchback or safety based on who put the ball into the end zone (impetus in NCAA -- same in Fed??).

Except that in Fed, if the team protecting an end zone fouls in such a spot while in possession there, it won't matter which team was responsible for the ball's being there.

[jTheUmp]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

Except that in Fed, if the team protecting an end zone fouls in such a spot while in possession there, it won't matter which team was responsible for the ball's being there.

This is also true for NCAA.