Interception Touchback/Safety question

[Bob M.]

Originally Posted by kdf5

If he runs laterally along the two for several steps before going into the EZ on his own, I have a safety. You might have to see it or be there. What about a situation where he's "tightroping"? I would look at this like he didn't have his balance and I might give him the benefit of the doubt and give him the ball at the two, again I'd have to see it. If a defender pushes him into the EZ then do you have forward progress at the two or a TB?

REPLY: I completely lost sight of the piece of the original post that said "...his momentum or that of the other player carries him into the endzone." If that "other player" was an opponent, I agree with kdf5 that you'll have a forward progress spot outside the endzone. In such a case, it would be an extremely hard sell to say 'touchback.' Actually, the original post makes it pretty clear that the momentum exception is off the table since the runner was able to take a few steps parallel to the goal line at his own 2. So even though the original post mentions that "his momentum...carries him into the endzone," we're no longer talking the momentum exception, but rather a situation where he enters his end zone of his own accord. Should the ball then become dead there in his possession, the result of the play is a safety as most have said.