Where to spot the ball - interception

[don't move]

B1 leaps into the air and controls A's pass over his 2 yardline. B1 returns to the ground in his endzone and takes a knee. Is this momentum rule and spot at the 2, or is interception not complete until he comes down in bounds, making it a touchback?

[Bob Mc]

Touchback

[Kirby]

"B1 returns to the ground in his endzone"

To complete the catch, you must contact the ground inbounds. In this situation I would rule touchback. The fact he started the catch in the air above the 2-yd line does not invoke the momentum exception.

[Warrenkicker]

He hasn't completed the catch until he comes back down. So because he never touched the ground with the ball in his possession outside of the endzone then it was the pass which was the force which caused the ball to be in the endzone. It will be a touchback.

[Snake~eyes]

I agree, TB!

[Ed Maeder]

8-5-1-2-a exception The ball belongs to B where the pass was intercepted. The catch was not complete until contacting the ground inbounds. Never happened so touchback 1st and ten at the twenty.

[don't move]

Does it change if B leaps straight up and contact from A drives him into the endzone?

[Bob Mc]

No. Nothing changes it's still a touchback as long as he comes down with the ball in the endzone.

[don't move]

If A1 controls the ball in his endzone and he is running toward the goal line, and he lands on the 2 yd line, it is spotted at the 2. If he leaps straight up and is contacted by B who forces him into the field it is a touchdown. Why is this different?

[JugglingReferee]

Originally posted by don't move
B1 leaps into the air and controls A's pass over his 2 yardline. B1 returns to the ground in his endzone and takes a knee. Is this momentum rule and spot at the 2, or is interception not complete until he comes down in bounds, making it a touchback?

Intercepted pass in the end zone.

B 1D/10 @ B-20.

[Mark Dexter]

Originally posted by don't move
If A1 controls the ball in his endzone and he is running toward the goal line, and he lands on the 2 yd line, it is spotted at the 2. If he leaps straight up and is contacted by B who forces him into the field it is a touchdown. Why is this different?

Could you explain this a bit more clearly? I'm not sure who is heading in what direction in your scenario.

[Daryl H. Long]

Be careful not to confuse momentum rule with the catch definition as it aplies to either sideline, forward progress, or both.

(A)The momentum rule (8-5-2a Exception) requires
1. a change of possession
2. player possession between the 5 yard line and goal line,
3. Player is unable to stop going into his own end zone and 4. the ball becomes in the end zone.

The ball is spotted at the place where the player was touching inbounds when he possessed the ball.

Remember, the momentum exception is only given so a team is NOT penalized with a safety. If one of the 4 criteria i have mentioned above are not met the the momentum exception can not be applied.

So the scenario where the airborne player intercepts the ball the catch is not credited until he touches the ground. If interception is in opponents end zone then by definition it is a touchback (8-5-3d).

(B) For a catch (2-4-1) there is an exception also but not written as such. Here, if the official determines that the player making the catch would have come down inbounds if no contact by an opponent had occurred the the player is credited with making the catch even though he did not come down and touch the field inbounds.

The ball is spotted where the referee thinks the player would have come down inbounds.

(C) For forward progress of airborne player (2-15-2). Player makes a catch and does come down inbounds but is driven backward by the defender while still airborne.

The ball is spotted where the defender contacted the player making the catch and drives him backward.

[Daryl H. Long]

Originally posted by don't move
If A1 controls the ball in his endzone and he is running toward the goal line, and he lands on the 2 yd line, it is spotted at the 2. If he leaps straight up and is contacted by B who forces him into the field it is a touchdown. Why is this different?

The scenarios you write seem to indicate A is about to score a touchdown in B's endzone. I am assuming you mean that A1 is airborne when he possesses the ball and you also meant the opponents end zone (not his) the answers are.

1. Apply the catch definition (2-4-1). The catch is not complete until the player touches the ground inbounds. the ball is spotted at the 2 assuming the player fell or was tackled there causing the ball to become dead.

If you really meant his end zone (ie) A's ball. 1st and 10 from their own 1 yard line. QB in the endzone in shot gun formation take snap and retreats near endline where he throws a high pass to A1. A1 leaps and controls pass while still over endzone and lands and falls on 2 yard line completing the pass. You would still apply (2-4-1) CATCH.

2. In this scenario you need to apply both the catch (2-4-1)and the forward progress rule (2-15-2) to get the proper spot. A1 given credit for the catch by possessing the ball and touching the ground inbounds. The furthest point of advancement (forward progress 2-15-2) was into the opponents endzone when A1 was contacted by B and driven backward. Possession of a live ball in the opponent's end zone is ALWAYS a touchdown.(8-2-1)