4th and 15 from a team's own 5 yard line.

Punter is in the EZ. Snap comes and the P fumbles the catch, the ball drops to the ground, in the EZ. The P gets nervous (or something because he's in the EZ) and kicks the ball out of the EZ into the field of play.

[Can you see this happening? I can - it happens on occasion - this time it was in the EZ, as opposed to the 30 or 40 or something.]


Now, the ball hits a member of the defence (receiving team if you will) at the 3 yard line (by accident - through no purpose of his own), then bounces back into the EZ. The P and a member of the receiving team both jump on the ball at the same time.

Ruling?

> 4th and 15 from a team's own 5 yard line.
> Punter is in the EZ. Snap comes and the P fumbles the
> catch, the ball drops to the ground, in the EZ.
> [... punter hoofs ball...]Now, the ball hits a member of
>the defence (receiving team if you will) at the 3 yard
> line (by accident - through no purpose of his own),
> then bounces back into the EZ. The P and a member of the
> receiving team both jump on the ball at the same time.

Geeez, you've got a real brain-stumper here!

Dunno how the four-down ruling would go, but my scan on it (being a Canuck) would work on the following principles:

In Canadian ball, a "simultaneous possession" goes to the team that originally had possession. Since the ball did not cross the line of scrimmage, the kicker has not yet surrendered posession (ie: if they could recover the ball, they could opt for a forward pass, etc, etc.)

Therefore, the ball at the end of the play belongs to A - still. However.... since yards were not gained, the ruling would be a safety touch.

(In Canadian ball, B could also opt to scrimmage from the 5 yard line, because the blocked kick went into the enzone on a third [kicking] down.)

Get this - I'm Cdn too! :) Kitchener, ON. You?

(HS where I'm from uses 4 downs.)

>Get this - I'm Cdn too! Kitchener, ON. You?

West coast of Canada. I have, for what it's worth, forwarded your question onto the authorities.

Hey guys, this may not help you out much because I'm
drawing from American Federation rules ... but I'll give
it a shot, anyway.

There's a couple things here:

1) If the loose ball was kicked off the ground by the
punter, you have an ILLEGAL kick (15yds)at that spot in the
end zone. By All-But-One, the enforcement spot would be in
the end zone which would result in a safety if B elects to
accept the penalty.

2) The force that put the ball back into the endzone after
R muffs is still the kick, legal or illegal.

3) Scrimmage kicks, when ended in joint possession, are
always ruled in possession of R no matter who touched
the ball first or if the ball crossed the NZ. BUT, a scrimmage kick is defined as a LEGAL kick (punt, place or
drop).

So, if the punter punted the ball, you have a touchdown for
R. If the punter kicked a loose ball, K would be ruled in
possession in the end zone and it is a safety.

I hope I never see this one ...

NCAA: Either way it's a safety. 1.) The illegal kick, if accepted, would be a spot foul. In this case it's the end zone: safety
2.) In NCAA a kick is not a kick until it touches the ground, a player, etc. beyond the NZ. In this scenario it never crossed the NZ, so the simultaeous possession belongs to Team A (not Team K, because there was no legal/valid kick): Safety

NCAA - I agree with J_Biz to the extent that both the result of the play and the penalty will be a safety. B has no option. However, this was never a kick play. This was an example of illegally kicking the ball. The backwards snap was muffed and the ball was kicked illegally after it struck the ground.