Effect of a Touched Kick

[jack015]

Originally posted by mmaguth
I'm a new official and find myself very confused here.
Here's my take on it:

1. We have a scrimmage kick touched beyond the neutral zone by R, This now can be recovered by K or R at this point and a new series is awarded to the recovering team. (Rule 6-2-4)

The ball returns beyond the neutral zone where it is recovered by K and passed forward for an incomplete pass. *Here I would think is was an illegal forward pass since possession has changed during the down due to R's touching? (7-5-2a) You would have IFP on K and enforce 5yrds from spot of foul 1st and 10 K's ball.

Or would that not be considered change of possession since it was a muff by R (2-26), therefore the ball remains K's since they resecured possesion. You would then have a legal forward pass behind the neutral zone by K, which is incomplete. It would be 1st and 10 from K's 45, since they are awarded a new series due to R's touching.

Does this sound close at all or make any sense?

You have pretty much got it right. The way the play in question is described, K recovered the kick (no change of possession) behind the LOS. This play is a classic example of a situation where Fundamental Statement II-3 on pg. 74 of the Rule Book and FS VI-2 on pg. 75 apply.

Since you are new to officiating and if you have not already realized it, if you learn the Fundamental Statements to the extent that when you see a situation on the field that a FS can be applied to, a light will start to come on in your brain when it happens and you should be able to analyze what happened and rule correctly.

Best of luck in your new avocation.

[Edited by jack015 on Aug 29th, 2005 at 07:27 AM]