NCAA Safety Question

[ljudge]

Someone got back to me about the ruling I was originally given. It's not a safety as you all have said here.

Originally Posted by The Roamin' Umpire

Indeed. But it's only a safety if the offense fouls in their own end zone.

Well let's see. If, on this same play the ball had gone out of the endzone (impetus by A) causing what would be a touchback, then I believe the defense could have scored a safety on itself because this would then be a spot foul. Agree?

[TXMike]

Maybe I am missing what you are saying but if the ball is still loose from the fumble when it is batted by B, the enforcement spot is still the end of the run. Still not a safety.

[mcrowder]

Originally Posted by ljudge

Someone got back to me about the ruling I was originally given. It's not a safety as you all have said here.



Well let's see. If, on this same play the ball had gone out of the endzone (impetus by A) causing what would be a touchback, then I believe the defense could have scored a safety on itself because this would then be a spot foul. Agree?

No - did B have possession at the moment of the foul? No... so it's a LBP - enforced at the end of the run. Your sitch is essentially the same as the OP.

Give B possession in the EZ, and a fumble while trying to run it out, and THEN the illegal bat in the EZ, and you have a safety.

[ljudge]

What a STUPID remark I made! Didn't think that one through (obviously).

[wwcfoa43]

In Canada, a fumble into the end zone last touched by B is treated as an interception in the end zone. Batting the ball forward is an offside pass by B which is not in itself a foul though it does in this case carry a penalty. The penalty for an offside pass by B in their end zone would be treated the same way as if B were tackled at that spot. So whether or not A accepts the penalty for the B offside pass, the result would be Team B possession 1st and 10 at the B 20 yard line.