Question on hitting player already OB

[Bob Floyd]

I saw a play similar to the one posted. If it is the same play I think some of the details were incorrect. NFL rules allow defenders to legally chuck cover men on scrimmage kicks all the way down the field. They intentionally try to force them out of bounds to affect their status. In the play the chuck was legal. I don't recall any question about the cover man being hit while out of bounds. When the kicking team player goes out of bounds, he may not touch or recover a scrimmage kick beyond the line until after it has been touched by B. The penalty is loss of 5 from the previous spot. This is how the officials enforced it. It was not a touchback. They replayed the down after the penalty.