Effect of a Touched Kick

[mikesears]

In order to understand this, I think we must take a close look at the awarding of a new series rules.

5-1-2:

A new series of downs is awarded:

b) after a fourth down, a new series of downs shall be awarded only after considering the effect of any act during the down.

5-1-3:

When a scrimmage down ends with the ball in the field of play or out of bounds between the goal lines, a new series is awarded to:

f) The team in possession at the end of the down, if R is the first to touch a scrimmage kick while it is beyond the expanded neutral zone, unless the penalty is accepted for a non post-scrimmage kick foul which occurred before the kick ended.


Because R touched the scrimmage kick beyond the expanded neutral zone, when the down ends, the team in possession will have a new series. The kick ended when K possessed the ball so the last sentence of (f) doesn't apply.


5-2-2:

When a foul occurs during a scrimmage down and before any change of team possession, and before a receiver is first to touch the scrimmage kick whlie it is beyond the neutral zone, the ball belongs to A or K after enforcement unless is is a 2-16-2g (post-scrimmage kick) foul. The number of the next down is the same as that of the down during which the foul occurred unless penatly acceptance includes a first down or loss of down, or the enforcement or the advance results in a first down . . . .

I don't think this rule addresses the situation. We have a foul before a change of team possession but the receiver's did touch the ball beyond the neutral zone. Both "and conditions" were not met. The foul by K is not a PSK foul.


5-2-5:

Following a foul, a series of downs ends when:

f) R is first to touch a scrimmage kick while it is beyond the neutral zone, unless a non post-scrimmage kick foul occurs before the kick ends and the penalty is accepted.


Given this play, the continuity of downs is broken. The series of downs has ended. The foul occured after the kick ended so We can't go back to 4th down.


5-2-6:

After a series of downs ends, a new series with first and 10 yards to gain is awarded, unless (too lazy to type it out). The first down is awarded to the team in possession when the foul occurs unless, declining the penalty leaves the other team in possession, or as in (c) and (f), accepting or declining the penalty leaves the other team in possession after fourth down. (See 5-2-5-c, f)

We see by 5-2-5f that the series of downs ended in the play. Now we see that a new series is awarded to the team in possession (team K in our play in question) when the IDF foul occured.


In my opinion, penalize for the IDF and K keeps the ball.