Scrimmage kick caseplay

[The Roamin' Umpire]

Originally Posted by kentref

Page 68 of the 2005 Rules Study Guide (NFHS) play #16.
On a punt, the untouched ball is bouncing at Team R's five yard line when K26 bats the ball into R32. While the ball is rolling loose, R65 clips at the 10 yard line. The ball is recovered by prone K10 at the two yard line.

The ruling given in the book is that it will be Team R's ball, first and 10 at their two yard line.

The ruling apparently assumes that Team K declines the R penalty. If Team K accepts the clipping penalty, what is the enforcement spot?

Wow, after paging through the book, I conclude that this makes for a very complex ruling. Let's assume for the moment that the bat by K26 is legal. Then:

• This is first touching by K26. (6-2-5)
• The touch by R32 is ignored. (6-2-4)
• Since R has not (officially) touched the ball yet, the clip by R65 will only cancel R's right to take the ball at the spot of first touching if it is accepted. (5-1-6, 6-2-5)
• If the penalty is declined, this is easy: R1/10 @ R5 (the spot of first touching).
• If the penalty is accepted, the clip meets all of the conditions for a PSK foul, except maybe the possession rule, because:
  • 5-1-3e doesn't apply.
  • 5-1-3f doesn't apply (the touching by R is ignored).
  • 5-1-3g doesn't apply (the right of R to take the ball at the spot of first touching is cancelled).
  • 6-2-4 suggests that K may not recover this kick, but it doesn't really say, either.
  • In other words, there's no rule to specifically tell us who will be awarded the new series.

On the field, I'm going to say that K does not have rights to the ball, so this is a PSK foul, and if K accepts the penalty, it's enforced from the end of the kick. R1/10 @ R1.


If the bat by K is illegal, then ironically enough 6-2-4 does not say the touch by R32 is ignored (), meaning that K would get to keep the ball if all fouls are declined. So the clip is not a PSK foul, which gives us simple offsetting fouls. Replay the down.