Blocked Punt past neutral zone
 

Blocked Punt, as white hat, i signalled tipped ball, ball is coming down 15 yards downfield, R team attempts to catch it, muffs it, and K team recovers. What you got? Rules reference would be appreciated.

K 1/10 from the spot of the recovery. Touching in or behind the neutral zone is ignored,so R is first to touch the ball (on the attempted catch). This means that K then touching the ball becomes a legal act, and thus K is allowed to gain possession of the kick. However, because the status of the ball is still a kick, K may not advance the ball.

The touch in the expanded neutral zone is ignored like nothing happen. So it depends on where it is "beyond" the NZ to apply. Otherwise, it is treated like a kick not touched and first touching and other rules apply and R would get back the ball.

Peace

Since the OP requested rules references...

Rule 5-1-3-f
Rule 6-2-6
Rule 6-2-4

JRutledge, I had to double check that I didn't mix up K and R after reading your response (I've been known to do that). I believe you did so in this case.

No I did not. The description said "blocked punt" which only the return team would be the one blocking the punt. If they touched the ball in the expanded NZ, the touch is ignored, like it did not happen. So R would get the ball as they would get the ball on any punt or end of the play during a punt play unless they touched the ball beyond the NZ first. If K touched the ball first, the end result would be the spot of first touching. No, I did not get anything mixed up. The play description never was really clear where the ball was touched by R. It does matter where they touch the ball if you give the ball to K at the end of the play.

Peace

Based on the OP, the kick was blocked, but then R muffed the ball 15 yards downfield from the line of scrimmage. This means that the ball was beyond the expanded neutral zone, and thus R's muff cannot be ignored for the purposes of first touching. Therefore, K has legally recovered the ball.

What I am saying is the blocked punt does not change the status of the play. I am going to assume that that was put in because there was some debate over the status when that happened. And it does matter again if the ball was blocked behind or in the expanded NZ. Unlike a pass, that touch is ignored if it takes place there.

Peace

If the muff was beyond the neutral zone, K is allowed to legally recover and possess the ball, without there being first touching (illegal touching in NCAA rules). The other exception to illegal touching is if there is an accepted penalty against R during the play, and R would not be next to put the ball in play.