Muffed Punt-Line to Gain
 

4th down, Kicking team needs to reach the 47 yard line. R1 muffs the ball at the 38 yard line and it is recovered by the kicking team at the 40. Does the kicking team get a new set of downs or does the receiving get the ball at the 40? Saw this happen in a game recently, and there was some confusion about it.

Where was the neutral zone? If the ball was not beyond the neutral zone when it was touched, touching by R is ignored. If it was beyond the neutral zone, then K gets a new series at the spot of the recovery.

Where was the LOS?

If R touched the ball beyond the LOS, then yes K would get the ball. But not knowing this also makes part of the answer predicated on where is the LOS. What side of the field is this on as well? Is it the 38 on the kicking team's side or the 38 on the receiving team's side of the field? A lot of details are left out.

But if R touches the ball beyond the LOS then K would get the ball and if the ball is recovered behind the LOS, K can advance the ball and would not need to reach the line to gain to have possession of the ball.

Peace

Sorry for the lack of details. LOS was Kicking team's 35. All action took place on the kicking team's side of the field. Thanks for the answers! The officials got it right. The coaches in the box and the radio guys got it wrong lol.

Imagine that...

Oh man, you should have seen the confusion this week when the kicking team caught the kickoff in the air. I am the PA guys. I am pretty sure I was the only up there again with a decent grasp of the rules.

The muff was close to the expanded neutral zone, so I wouldn't blame anybody for getting possession wrong. However, it'd be a new series for whichever team is awarded it, line-to-gain notwithstanding.

So, I was thinking this at first too...but then I dug into the rulebook to double check myself and I don't believe the expanded neutral zone applies in this situation.

Rule 6-2-6 refers to the touching of a LOW scrimmage kick in or behind the expanded neutral zone and says to ignore it. When I read this, I'm thinking of a blocked or partially blocked kick that does not clear the lineman. I don't believe this is intended to include a high punt that comes down in the expanded part of the expanded neutral zone.

Rule 6-2-4 allows K to recover a kick that has been touched beyond the neutral zone (not expanded neutral zone) by R.

Am I incorrect here?

edit: just read case book 6.2.6. I believe the wording of this supports me as well.

If it was that type of kick, you're right. Officials have to see where the ball was touched, then locate that relative to the down stick. Theoretically the R player on a ball in the air has a chance to camp under it, get a look at the down stick, and then decide whether to play the ball. The "expanded neutral zone" provisions are intended mostly to save a player of R who might not be able to get out of the way of a ground ball or is trying to block a line drive.

I might be missing your point here, but all that was said was that if the ball is touched within the expanded neutral zone, you ignore the touch and act like nothing else happened like a first touch or a muff by R. And it mostly deals with a low kick here because a high kick might have other issues if R is in position to catch the ball. I do not think anyone said there were more to it than that based on the original post.

Peace