PSK or not? - NCAA

[JasonTX]

Originally Posted by DJ_NV

I think it should be PSK but I can't prove it. Although I didn't get too far into the debate about it the other night, my colleague kept saying it can't be PSK because B doesn't have possession when the down ends. The actual wording is not the B has to have possession but rather that A does not have possession. But remember that "possession" (and that's the only word the rule uses) can mean player possession (which A does not have) and team possession (which they do).

So the question then becomes, does the illegal touching wipe off the 'validity' of the touchback? If it does, then we have PSK. If it doesn't, then we don't. I tend to believe that how can A be awarded 'possession' after an illegal touch? But until I have an AR or similar to go by, I can't argue with the letter of the law in Rule 10.

Thoughts?

Team A is not in team possession either. The definition:

In Possession
ARTICLE 5. “In possession’’ is an abbreviation meaning the holding or
controlling of a live ball or a ball to be free-kicked.
a. A player “gains possession’’ when he is firmly holding or controlling the
ball while contacting the ground inbounds.

b. A team is “in possession’’ when one of its players is “in possession’’
or attempting a punt, drop kick or place kick; while a forward pass
thrown by one of its players is in flight; or one of its players was last in
possession during a loose ball.


By these definitions Team A does not meet any of these requirements. Team B was the team that fumbled it and that meets the requirements of "b".

To show support for PSK we can look at a similar play.

Team A 2nd and 10 from the B-30 throws a legal forward pass that is caught by A80 on the B-4 where he fumbles and the ball goes forward and out of the back of the end zone. During the pass, B90 roughed the passer. Ruling: A's ball 1st and Goal at the B-2.

Had there been a change of possesion then the enforcement would have been from the previous spot. Since there was not a change of possession in this play then the same can be said for the original play regarding PSK.