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.