Muff

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by wisref2

You've kind of messed up the team labels here. Remember, when describing a play - the designations at the beginning of the down continue throughout the down. On a kick play - the kicking team is K (not A) and the receivers are R, not B.

No, they're still A & B, but in addition, they're K & R.

There are circumstances in which the ball's "belonging to" B after the play described in the post at 3:16 would be correct. The initial poster didn't state where the previous spot was, nor the down & line to gain.

Presumably the punt was a kick from scrimmage. If B's/R's touching of the ball occurred on A's/K's side of the neutral zone, and then A's/K's recovery of the ball occurred there too, and the 30 yard line where it became dead was not beyond the line to gain, and it was last down, then in all North American codes the next series would be awarded to B on downs. It would be material that the touching of the ball was a mere muff (or in Canadian football, a blocked kick) rather than possession and a fumble. So maybe this was the scenario.

ISTR that in one code (Fed?), it wouldn't matter where R's touching of the ball occurred, if K recovered in or behind the expanded neutral zone. Or am I just imagining that difference?

Robert