Touchback?

[Tom Cook]

This play was described to me by my brother, the coach. As a punt rolls towards R's end zone inside the one yard line, K2 "grabs" the ball, and "goes into the end zone". My answer was that K2 has to have posession, ie: control and a foot down inside the goal line or it's a touchback. What is the Fed. rule? Does the K2 player have to stay out of the endzone, or does he just have to have "posession" before going into the endzone?

[bluezebra]

The foot has no meaning, just the ball. If the ball breaks the plane of the goal line on a kick, it's a touchback. If K gains possession inside the 1-yard line, the ball is blown dead there. If he touches the ball (first touching) at the 1-yd. line and muffs it into the end zone, it's a touchback.

Bob

[Rick KY]

Remember that any kick which enters R's endzone is a touchback in NF, if it is not a successful scoring attempt. If the K player has possession outside R's endzone then it is downed, since the kick has ended. If K is airborn and catches the ball and lands in R's endzone with the ball, or if K muffs the kick into R's endzone, you have a TB. Actually R would ahve the choice of the spot of first touching, or the TB. They better take the TB. You must know what constitutes possession. See Rule 2.