Free Kick OB

[phansen]

Free Kick bounces twice at R's 10 and 5 yard line in bounds before taking a big bounce on its way out of bounds at the 3 yard line. After the second bounce inbounds, R1 jumps, secures the ball while in the air and lands out of bounds with both feet at the 3 yard line.
Looking for both High school and College ruling. This is what I found so far:


This is what I found for high school:
SITUATION 3 (9.6.2): K1 free-kicks the ball toward the sideline. R1 runs to a sideline and intentionally steps out of bounds. While R1 is still out of bounds, he intentionally touches the ball as it nears the sideline. The ball is declared dead by the covering official. RULING: Illegal participation by R1. This is not a kick out of bounds as the ball was touched by an R player and the ball became dead when it was touched. (4-3-1; 6-1-8)


2-27-15. NCAA. This is almost exact situation.
IV. Free kick at the A-35. B17 leaps from inbounds and is the first player to touch Team A's free kick when he grasps the ball while airborne. He then lands out of bounds with the ball in his control. RULING: Not a foul for free kick out of bounds. B17 is inbounds when he touches the kick. Team B will have the ball at the yard line where B17 crossed the sideline (Rule 2-27-15). [Cited by 6-2-2]

[JRutledge]

In NF Rules, A and K cannot go out even accidentally, but no one can ever go out intentionally and participate in the play.

I see no issues with the NCAA ruling either. What is the question or concern?

Peace

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by phansen

2-27-15. NCAA. This is almost exact situation.

"Almost" neglects the most important point: going out of bounds first before touching the ball, vs. touching the ball while on the way out of bounds.

In the situation described in the opening paragraph, the receiving team player didn't bat the ball out of bounds to gain an advantage, nor did he play the ball deliberately from out of bounds, but instead made a bona fide attempt to recover it. Whether he succeeded in getting the ball in his grasp or not, it becomes dead and R is awarded first down at the OOB spot, and there is no foul.

[phansen]

I am just confirming to see if anyone else had a rules citation or case book on this play.
I witnessed this situation in a college game where it was flagged by side judge and put on the 35 yard line with both the side judge and referee watching the entire play. It didn't look right to me so I looked it up for both HS and College. Not trying to throw anyone under the bus, just making sure I get the play
right when it happens to me.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by phansen

I am just confirming to see if anyone else had a rules citation or case book on this play.
I witnessed this situation in a college game where it was flagged by side judge and put on the 35 yard line with both the side judge and referee watching the entire play. It didn't look right to me so I looked it up for both HS and College. Not trying to throw anyone under the bus, just making sure I get the play
right when it happens to me.

What do you mean by "this play"? The one you originally brought up, which is the same as the example in NCAA interpretations, is not at all contentious. You didn't find an example for it in a Fed casebook, but nobody would try to apply any ruling for it that differs from NCAA's.

Or do you mean "this situation in a college game"?

[bob jenkins]

A similar play in a JuCo game I was watching:

The kickoff lands inbounds near the sideline at about the 3-yeard line. As the ball begins to settle there, R1 steps OOB and then dives on the ball (the ball and R1's torso are inbounds, R1's feet may have remained OOB). Whistle and flag for ...?