Try this one

[JugglingReferee]

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?

[sportswriter]

> 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.)

[JugglingReferee]

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

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

[sportswriter]

>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.

[Zeke5]

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 ...

[J_Biz]

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

[duffymapes]

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.