Touchback/Safety
 

Had a situation today in a college Intramural game using NFL rules.

Kickoff into the end zone is touched by the receiving team, bounces around in end zone. Defensive team gets downfield, falls near ball. The player deflects the ball towards the back of the end zone, it goes out of bounds with the KICKING team being the last to touch it, then he falls on it and assumes "possession" (literally about an inch behind the OOB line). What's the ruling?

Canadian Ruling
 

CANADIAN RULING:

Rouge.

Wow, a college intramural game using NFL rules. Now isn't that a bit odd.

Anyway, don't know NFL rules, but I suspect in this case it would be the
same as for NCAA. Touchback is how I see it. the kicking team put the ball into the EZ

If the ball was recovered OOB it's a touchback.

Why? I don't mean that to be sarcastic, but can someone briefly explain the reasoning to me? I was debating this with a couple of other guys for about 10 minutes and we came to no consensus.

The kick off went into the end zone.

No one possessed it.

It went out of the end zone.

That's ALWAYS a touchback.

Ball was not possessed in the EZ by kicking team, so...NO Touchdown.

Receving team did not get possession outside of the EZ and cause it to go into and then out of the back of the EZ, so...NO safety.

What's left? Touchback

You college boys spent 10 minutes debating this, and STILL reached no consensus? Wow. Forksref laid it out for you in, what, 5 seconds?

We're not nearly as well-versed as anyone on this board, thus my coming here. It's also why we're working Intramurals and not trying to be out on the field in "real" games.

The part about no team having possession in the EZ makes it very clear.

You play 11-a-side tackle football intramurally?! I've heard of jock schools, but if that's for real, that's amazing.

OK with some modifications.....7-on-7.

Tackle?