Touchback or not?

[Blue37]

Originally Posted by Bob M.

REPLY: The key to this ruling is understanding the definition of "recovery." (See, you knew we'd somehow come back to rule 2 on this one ). Look at rule 2-36-1. It says that "An airborne player has completed a recovery when he first contacts the ground inbounds with the ball in his possession." And where did he first contact the ground? In the endzone. hence, he completed the recovery in the endzone maiking this a TB.

Granted, he was guilty of 'first touching' at R's 2, but obviously R will never take the ball there in this case.

Yeah, I see where I missed it. In my example, I did not take into account that it was contact by a defender that forced the receiver back into the field of play. If the airborne receiver's momentum carries him back into the field of play, and he is downed there, it is not a touchdown.

So let's add some contact to the punt play. The ball bounces at the five, K12 goes airborne and grabs the ball at the one. His momentum is parallel to the goal line and there is no question that he would come down in the field of play, BUT R5 pushes him and he lands in the end zone. Does that change things?