NFHS

Casebook 8.3.3 Situation: During a try a fumble by A1 is nearly at rest on the 3 yard line when a muff by B1 is judged to be a new force causing the ball to go into B's end zone where B2 recovers and: (a) downs the ball in the end zone; or (b) advances to his 10 yard line.

Ruling: The try ends and the ball becomes dead when B2 recovers. In any ordinary down , such a dead ball in the end zone would be a safety, therefore, one point is scored for A in both (a) and (b). B cannot score during a try down. (4-2-2i; 8-1; 8-5-2b)
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I'm having a hard time imagining this scenario - how can A score a safety on a try? and how is anything scored in situation (b)?

B's force (the muff) is what put the ball into their endzone, so when recovered (possessed) by B the ball becomes dead by rule on a try. That is why it is a safety in both situations.

Look at 8-5-2b, then look at 4-2-2i - makes perfect sense.

Good luck convincing the coach if this happens :D

I saw Bob McElwee trying to explain force to Jim Fahsel during a Giangs V. Raiders game a few years ago. NFL films caught the conversation and even Bob (the Dean of Referees) had a very difficult time explaining it....and it wasn't even during a try.

Note: The NFL rule is the same as for HS regarding a 1-point safety.

You would simply need to be as succinct as you can be and help the coach understand that B is responsible for putting the ball in his own endzone and since it became dead there it's a safety. That's all you can say.

GeorgiaBlue,

Remember this: If A's try is a field goal the ball becomes dead when it is obvious that the kick will not be good. So, that means that the only way for A to score a safety must occur when A's try is by touchdown. In that case the ball does not become dead until either 1) A has scored a touchdown (2 points for A); 2) A is downed before scoring a touchdown (0 points); 3) A looses possession of the ball and it rolls through the end zone and over the end line (0 points); 4) A looses possession of the ball in the field of play and the ball is forced into the end zone by B and it is recovered by A in the end zone (2 points for A); or A looses possession of the ball in the field of play and the ball is forced into the end zone by B and it is recovered by B in the end zone (1 point for A) Also remember that B can never score on a try in NFHS play.

This is one of the few things in football I pray I never see on a football field. The other is a field goal attempt from free kick formation after an (awarded) fair catch and even then if it comes after a play is ran and there is a penalty accepted against the defense. I can just see the nightmare of an arguement on that one.