Possession / Touchback

[Sonuvahusker]

Could someone clarify something for me. It pertains to a play at the end of the Nebraska - Colorado game. A Nebraska player intercepted a pass in the end zone, and dropped to a knee. Even though his knee was clearly in the end zone, the official spotted the ball at the 1 yard line, claiming that the way the player was holding the ball, it was over the plane of the goal line. I believe the call was incorrect, using the following logic:

On a kick off, if a player receives the ball in the end zone, and drops to a knee in the end zone, it's a touchback. It doesn't matter where the ball is in this scenario.

Reason: The player took possession in the end zone, and never possessed the ball outside of the end zone. Therefore, dropping to a knee in the end zone is a touchback.

If this is true, the same principal should apply to the Nebraska example I gave above. The player who made the interception took possession of the ball in the end zone, never left the end zone, and dropped to a knee in the end zone. The correct call should have been a touchback.

Correct? Thanks for your help!

[Patton]

First off, you stated that "the official spotted the ball at the 1 yard line, claiming that the way the player was holding the ball, it was over the plane of the goal line". I don't know to many officials that give post-game interviews. The announcers may have said that, but not the offical. And if you wathed the game, the ball CLEARLY crossed out of the endzone and into the field of play before his knee touched. Ask yourself this, if that was the Nebraska QB scambling in the endzone trying to avoid a safety and the same thing happen, would the ball be spotted at the 1 or would it be a safety? The dead-ball spot is the spot under the foremost point of the ball when it becomes dead by rule (in this case, when the players knee went down).

"On a kick off, if a player receives the ball in the end zone, and drops to a knee in the end zone, it's a touchback. It doesn't matter where the ball is in this scenario." THIS WASN'T A KICKOFF

"Reason: The player took possession in the end zone, and never possessed the ball outside of the end zone. Therefore, dropping to a knee in the end zone is a touchback" YES HE DID POSSESS IT OUTSIDE THE ENDZONE

The officials made a good call.

[Sonuvahusker]

Originally posted by Patton

"On a kick off, if a player receives the ball in the end zone, and drops to a knee in the end zone, it's a touchback. It doesn't matter where the ball is in this scenario." THIS WASN'T A KICKOFF

Let me ask you this, then. Do a different set of rules apply to kickoffs? I ask because neither I nor anyone I have asked have ever seen a kickoff fielded in the end zone, and the receiver drops to a knee, but the ball is spotted at the one because of the position of the ball. Is it always a touchback on a kickoff, regardless of the position of the ball?

Thanks again.

[Snake~eyes]

The rule is very simple. Imagine you're on the 50 yard line and the player has the ball and takes a knee. Now you spot the ball where it was when his knee touched the ground.

Now move back to the endzone scenario. Now spot the ball where it was when the knee hit the ground. Put the ball on the ground where it should go, if the ball is pentrating the plane then you have a touchback otherwise you leave it where it is.

Sounds to me like they made the right call.

[Patton]

Yes, different rules do apply depending on how the ball gets into the endzone, however, on this situation the ball would have been spotted on the 1 yd line even on the kickoff. The reason is because the player brought the ball into the field of play before his knee touched. Watch the replay and you can tell how hard he was trying to stop but just wasn't able (he knew he messed up). No big deal, ended up not having any effect on the game. It was really an easy call for the official.

[Edited by Patton on Dec 2nd, 2003 at 10:35 AM]

[Theisey]

Originally posted by Sonuvahusker
..... I believe the call was incorrect, using the following logic:

On a kick off, if a player receives the ball in the end zone, and drops to a knee in the end zone, it's a touchback. It doesn't matter where the ball is in this scenario.

Reason: The player took possession in the end zone, and never possessed the ball outside of the end zone. Therefore, dropping to a knee in the end zone is a touchback.

(fix the extra bold stuff)

### I hope you get the point from the other posts, it Does matter where the ball position is relative to the vertical plane of the goal line.
Whether its a kick or interception. The player better make sure the BALL is in the EZ when he takes a knee.

[Edited by Theisey on Dec 2nd, 2003 at 11:07 AM]

[Bob M.]

REPLY: I didn't see the play, so I'll ask the obvious uninformed question: Is it possible that the interception took place at the 1 yardline and the covering official ruled the momentum exception was in effect when the defender took a knee in the EZ??

[Patton]

Originally posted by Bob M.
REPLY: I didn't see the play, so I'll ask the obvious uninformed question: Is it possible that the interception took place at the 1 yardline and the covering official ruled the momentum exception was in effect when the defender took a knee in the EZ??

No Bob, He intercepted it 5 yds deep in the EZ, started to run it out, changed his mind at the goal line, but then couldn't stop his own momentum. So the ball was clearly in the field of play when his knee touched in the endzone.

[mikesears]

Originally posted by Patton

No Bob, He intercepted it 5 yds deep in the EZ, started to run it out, changed his mind at the goal line, but then couldn't stop his own momentum. So the ball was clearly in the field of play when his knee touched in the endzone.

The defender's knee was almost on the goal line to give you an idea of how close he was to actually bringing the ball back out.

[Patton]

Originally posted by mikesears
The defender's knee was almost on the goal line to give you an idea of how close he was to actually bringing the ball back out.

I think you actually meant to say how close he was to bringing his whole body out...the ball was out.

[Edited by Patton on Dec 2nd, 2003 at 01:43 PM]

[mikesears]

Originally posted by Patton

I think you actually meant to say how close he was to bringing his whole body out...the ball was out.

[Edited by Patton on Dec 2nd, 2003 at 01:43 PM]

Yep, that's what I meant

Thanks for catching that!