Touchback

[fonzzy07]

Just saw this in an NFL game and was woundering about it. Away team kicks off a line drive. Home team fields it at there 1 then backs into the endzone and kneels it is this a touchback? They called it one, it just seemed like it should be a safty. Thanks

[MJT]

That would not be a safety anyway. The momentum exception would place the ball at the one, IF they said that is where the player POSSESSED the ball. I didn't see it, but the officials must have said he did not possess it until he had broken the plane of the EZ. Possession is not the initial contact, and if in doubt, an official will call it a TB, not a momentum exception and place it at the one yard line. Here is the MException, so you can understand it better.

8-5-2 . . . It is a safety when:

a. A runner carries the ball from the field of play to or across his own goal line, and it becomes dead there in his team's possession.

EXCEPTION: When a defensive player intercepts an opponent's forward pass; intercepts or recovers an opponent's fumble or backward pass; or an R player catches or recovers a scrimmage kick or free kick between his 5-yard line and the goal line, and his original momentum carries him into the end zone where the ball is declared dead in his team's possession or it goes out of bounds in the end zone, the ball belongs to B at the spot where the pass or fumble was intercepted or recovered or the kick was caught or recovered.

A few case book plays:
8.5.2 SITUATION A: R1 makes an over-the-shoulder catch of a scrimmage kick on his own 2-yard line, running full speed in the direction of his own goal line. His momentum carries him into the end zone with the ball. RULING: Since the momentum of R1 carried him into his own end zone, if the ball becomes dead in his possession in the end zone, it will be R's ball at the spot of the catch. This also would be true if the ball went out of bounds behind the goal line after R1's momentum carried him there and he was last in possession of the ball. (8-5-2a Exp.)
*8.5.2 SITUATION G: B1, while in full stride at B's 2-yard line (a) intercepts a backward pass; (b) intercepts a fumble; or (c) recovers a grounded fumble or backward pass and his momentum carries him into his end zone where he is downed. RULING: In (a),(b) and (c) the ball would belong to B at the spot where the backward pass or fumble was intercepted or recovered as the momentum exception applies.
*8.5.2 SITUATION H: B1, while in full stride at his 2-yard line (a) catches punt over his shoulder; or (b) recovers a grounded punt. His momentum carries him into his end zone where he is downed. RULING: In (a) and (b) the ball would belong to B at the spot where the punt was caught as the momentum exception applies.