Fumble Out of End Zone Into Field of Play Resulting in Safety NFHS Rule 8-5-2

[FeetBallRef]

Under the current 2025 NFHS Football Rules, when Team A fumbles the ball in its own end zone, then goes forward into the field of play, and Team B bats or muffs the ball out of bounds beyond
the goal line (e.g., at the 1-yard line), the play results in a safety against Team A. This ruling is based on Team A’s original impetus for the ball entering the end zone.

Suggested correction, if a loose ball originating from a fumble by Team A in its own end zone and crossing the goal line in the field of play and is subsequently batted or muffed out of bounds by Team B,
the result is not a safety. In such cases, the ball is declared dead at the spot where it crossed the sideline, and Team A retains possession or Team B possession if 4th down.

[Robert Goodman]

That's not the problem, so not correcting the problem. The problem is the illegal forward pass's wiping out responsibility for the ball's being there in cases where it would've been a touchback had the fumbling player gone down with the ball. So the illegal movement of the ball gives the team making it a worse outcome than making it dead would have.

The solution is to have fouls that incur loss of down not supersede "responsibility".

[FeetBallRef]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

That's not the problem, so not correcting the problem. The problem is the illegal forward pass's wiping out responsibility for the ball's being there in cases where it would've been a touchback had the fumbling player gone down with the ball. So the illegal movement of the ball gives the team making it a worse outcome than making it dead would have.

The solution is to have fouls that incur loss of down not supersede "responsibility".

I didn't understand the response. The issue as I understand it is that if Team A's QB backs up into his end zone and while attempting a pass, Team B hits his arm and causes the ball to be fumbled out of the end zone into the field of play.
Once in the field of play, if Team B muffs the ball out of bounds, it is a Safety on Team A. OR, if Team B adds new Force to the fumble back across the goal line and Team A recovers the ball, it is a Touchback. This disparity doesn't make sense to me!

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by FeetBallRef

I didn't understand the response. The issue as I understand it is that if Team A's QB backs up into his end zone and while attempting a pass, Team B hits his arm and causes the ball to be fumbled out of the end zone into the field of play.
Once in the field of play, if Team B muffs the ball out of bounds, it is a Safety on Team A. OR, if Team B adds new Force to the fumble back across the goal line and Team A recovers the ball, it is a Touchback. This disparity doesn't make sense to me!

If it's while A was attempting a forward pass, then it's just an incomplete pass and dead on hitting the ground. It's the initial direction of the ball in Fed that determines whether it's a forward pass.

[Altor]

Originally Posted by FeetBallRef

I didn't understand the response. The issue as I understand it is that if Team A's QB backs up into his end zone and while attempting a pass, Team B hits his arm and causes the ball to be fumbled out of the end zone into the field of play.
Once in the field of play, if Team B muffs the ball out of bounds, it is a Safety on Team A. OR, if Team B adds new Force to the fumble back across the goal line and Team A recovers the ball, it is a Touchback. This disparity doesn't make sense to me!

There's no disparity. Just follow the rules in the logical order to get the correct ruling.

1. A fumbles and the ball goes forward and out of bounce -> the succeeding spot is the spot of the fumble.
2. The succeeding spot is in the A's EZ -> what was the impetus that put the ball in the end zone before the fumble?
3. The impetus was A running the ball across the goal line. -> safety.

The fact that B muffed or (legally) batted the fumbled ball is immaterial to the questions that need answered.