Safety on a try
 

Question:
How does Team A score a safety on a try? If any of you have any experience with such scenario, please give details.

I have not seen this occur, but Team A can score a safety (1 point!) on a try in the following manner:

[NFHS rules]
Try @ B3. A runs a sweep, but is hit and fumbles near the goal line. The ball is rolling away from the goal line when a B player, diving to get the ball, muffs it back, and it hits the pylon. (Or goes into the EZ and is recovered by B, or goes into and out of the EZ, etc.)

On a normal play, this is a safety - B has forced the ball into his own endzone and it is dead there. On a try, it's STILL a safety, but A only scores 1 point, and A is still kicking off next.*

Under NCAA rules, the muff isn't a new force - it would have to be a bat. I just didn't want to introduce a foul into the play.

* - Yes, I know B could theoretically decide to kickoff. No need to confuse the issue. :P

REPLY: It all revolves aroound an understanding of "force." PLAY: Team A attempts a sweep on the try. A11 fumbles at B's 4. The ball is at rest at B's 3 when B22 muffs it and it rebounds into B's endzone. There, it is recovered by a prone B33. RULING: Since the force which put the ball into B's endzone was B22's muff, the result of the play is a safety. Award A 1 point.

I think you can still have the same without a bat in NCAA, but don't have my books with me. I think in a bowl game 2-3 years ago that "Blue" worked, they had it happen. Blue and his crew nailed it and Blue explained it on the field mic for all to understand. Do some of you remember that?

REPLY: In NCAA rules, a muff can create a new impetus (force) if the ball is at rest.

Anyone ever seen this happen in a game?

Bob, wasn't there a bowl game a few years back where it happened and Castleberry was the R? I recall discussion on this board, or maybe McGriff's about it.

Did some Googling and found it.
Friday, November 26, 2004 Texas vs Texas A&M
Cooper Castleberry was the R. Here is the game report. http://mackbrown-texasfootball.com/p...004/GAME11.HTM
Here is a blog about it. http://beldar.blogs.com/beldarblog/2...that_long.html

Here is an little on how it happened.
Texas holder Matt Nordgren dropped the snap, Dusty Mangum kicked the ball into the line and it rolled away just shy of the goal line. In the ensuing scramble for the football, officials ruled that A&M had gained possession of the ball then fumbled it into the end zone.

A&M safety Jaxson Appel recovered the fumble just before several Texas defenders pounced on him.

Game officials conferred for about a minute before ruling that the Longhorns would get a point for downing Appel in the end zone. The mostly orange-clad crowd of 83,891 exploded into cheers once the scoreboard recorded the point, tying the game at 13-all.

Interesting rule. So it is possible to have a score of 1-0 in game. :)

I thought that was only possible in Canada, with our Rouge.

Did you know that in the CFL, it is possible for B to intercept (or recover a fumble) an A convert attempt and run it back for a 2-point touchdown?

Not 1 - 0 but it could be 1-6. The 1 point safety would occur on the try after the team scores a 6 pt TD.

Doh! Stoopid me.

No team can only have scored 1 point. The only way in NF for a team to score 1 point is on a try and the defense can not score. In the play in question the touchdown-scoring team tackled the other team for a safety. So the score went from 6-13 to 12-13 to 13-13.

That is except for a forfeit, official score is 1-0 unless the game was started and the team that forfeited was trailing at the time, then the score stands.

The only problem on the Texas/TAM play was that it was an illegal kick and Texas should not been allowed to score due to the foul.

Actually, this would be more unusual than the A&M/Tex play since it would require a safety in the OTHER end zone -- 97+ yards away. It would take quite an imagination to figure out how, other than intentionally, the offense would find themselves in their own end zone.

If the 1 point safety is going to occur, it will almost certainly do so as in the A&M game.

May I have a rule reference or case book reference on this particuliar play please? Thank you.

NCAA:
Team A scores a TD and is lined up for the Try. The kick is blocked and recovered and advanced by Team B 90 yards where a Team A player strips the ball and recovers the ball on the bounce. He then tries to avoid the B player and runs into his own end zone where he is tackled. Ruling: 1 pt. Safety for B. :D