Just curious, what is it exactly?

here's the rule:

When on fourth down, before a change of team possession, a Team A fumble is caught or recovered in advance of the fumble by a Team A player other than the fumbler, the ball is dead and returned to the spot of the fumble. If the fumble is recovered behind the spot of the fumble by a Team A player other than the Team A fumbler, the ball is dead at that spot.

A similar wording appears for TRYs:
Before a change of team possession, a Team A player fumbles and the ball is caught or recovered by any Team Aplayer other than the fumbler. There is no Team A score (A.R. 8-3-2-IX-XI).

Key points in handling this are to bag the spot, get the fumblers number and watch who recovers on team A. You can kill it as soon as you know it wasn't the fumblers who recovered or caught the ball or you can wait if not sure until ths play is over. The you quikly determine who has possession of the ball and go from there.

Now, on a muffed backward pass (pitch), all of this is out the door, correct?

So - on a 4th and 4 at the B44, QB 1's backward pass is muffed by back A2. It rolls OB at the B39, we have a 1st and 10 for A at the B39, correct?

That is correct. It has to be a fumble. A backwards pass is never a fumble. You'll often hear the coaches hollering "fumble, fumble" when they see the ball lose from a backwards pass but that is not what it is. The one that I have seen blown before is the muffed snap. Same thing, any player may recover and advance.

.. and that's why we don't bag muffed snaps, cuz' they ain't fumbles. Yet I still see experienced Refs (and U's)doing just that in the lower levels of NCAA football.

Hey Jason, not sure how far back this change goes, but remember when Team-B was't allowed to advance a recovered backward pass? Now that was a fun one to officiate.

[Edited by Theisey on Jun 21st, 2004 at 12:23 PM]

Thanks Theisy, that's what I thought it was. Good explanation. Also on a fumble that goes out of bounds the ball is brougth back to where it was fumbled? Or where it went out of bounds? And is there a difference on 1st and 4th down?

The down does not matter. Any fumble that goes forward and out of bounds comes back to the spot of the fumble. If the fumble goes backwards and OOB the ball stays there. A backwards pass is a total different creature. If some how a backwards pass goes forward and OOB then that's where the ball will stay.

Additionally...
 

If the ball goes forward and OOB, the clock starts on the READY. If backwards and OOB it starts on the SNAP.

<b>Theisey...</b>

I remember that. I think they changed it in 99, but not sure. I do remember talking a lot about it, but I never had to rule on it ... thankfully...