Downing a scimmage kick, goal line - NCAA
 

When does a scimmagekick become a touchback in NCAA? Can a player reach over the goal line to grab a ball that still has not yet touched the ground in the endzone? Can a player touching the goal line down the ball that is still in the field of play?

No and Yes.

The position of the player in NCAA and what he is touching is irrelevant. The position of the BALL is the sole thing that matters in NCAA. If the ball is over the EZ or the Goal Line, and a player in the field of play jumps, reaches, dives and taps the ball back into the field of play, said player has touched the ball in the endzone (likely a TB, although the receiving team may still return the ball at this point until the ball is dead). if a player is laying in the endzone and reaches into the field of play to prevent a ball from reaching the EZ, the ball is down where it was touched or where it becomes dead.

There was a great example of a kicking team player reaching into the EZ to bat a scrimmage kick backward to be downed at the one.
Me thinks it was in the BC/Navy game, but not 100% sure one it. Anyone?

Covering officials got together and correctly ruled a TB and spotted the ball on the 20.

Interesting twist to this....
 

In studying for my NCAA test I was going over batting with respect to scrimmage kicks. I believe I read this in redding's guide....

If B happened to touch the ball (and team A was unaware of it) and team A subsequently batted the ball in team B's ez toward his own goalline, team A would then be guilty of an illegal bat.

This would be a very costly penalty for team A b/c this would more than likely occur on 4th down so it would be 15-yds from the PS and loss of down.

Now, the question is...would you call this?

REPLY To follow up on mcrowder's good explanation....Also, once the ball touches the ground in B's endzone, it's dead and a TB, unless the ball was touched by B in the field of play. In that case, it remains live.

Thank you! Location of ball, but plane does not make it dead like NFHS.

You read that correctly. No player can bat a loose ball while in the EZ. It would be a tough call to make, but one you would have to make if you ruled the team-B receiver did touch the ball.

There was a great example in the BCS Champ game and that play is the subject of the next video play I will be posting.

The loss of down provision doesn't apply to scrimmage kicks beyond the neutral zone.

Hey Jason, I'm not sure exactly what you mean. The foul is for an illegal bat which carries a loss of down provision, correct? Is there an exception?

Yup- in the penalty part of 9-4-1...

Exception: No loss of down if the foul occurs when a legal scrimmage kick is beyond the neutral zone

http://www.safootballchapter.us/VID/EZBAT.htm

Here is the video clip from the BCS Championship Game

How about fixing your link TXMike.. one too many http:// in the link. :eek:

Do you have a .wmv for this play?

Yes (.wmv) but it is fairly large.