Player going OB

[GoodScout]

Let's assume that it's a defender that goes OOB on his own volition chasing the fumble, and then steps back inbounds and recovers it. My take would be that the ball would be dead as soon as he touched it, you'd have illegal participation, and you'd have fun explaining to the defensive coach that since neither team gained possession before the ball became dead, it goes back to the offense -- with the IP penalty tacked on.

[jjrye22]

NCAA rules regarding players OOB:
On a run or loose ball play there is no restriction that a player (O or D) can be OOB and come back in. Only the following rules relate to players OOB and elligibilty issues.

6.1.2.f - A Team A player who goes out of bounds during a free kick down may not return inbounds during the down (Exception: This does not apply to
a Team A player who is blocked out of bounds and attempts to return inbounds immediately) [S19].

6.3.12 No Team A player who goes out of bounds during a scrimmage kick down may return inbounds during the down (Exception: This does not apply to a Team A player who is blocked out of bounds and attempts to return inbounds immediately).

7.1.5.b. When the snap starts:
1. No player may be in or beyond the neutral zone at the snap.
2. All players must be inbounds.

Eligibility Lost by Going Out of Bounds
7.3.4. No eligible offensive receiver who goes out of bounds during
a down shall touch a legal forward pass in the field of play or end zones or while airborne until it has been touched by an opponent or official (A.R.
7-3-4-I-III).
Exception: This does not apply to an eligible offensive player who
attempts to return inbounds immediately after being blocked out of bounds
by an opponent (A.R. 7-3-4-IV).




By the way: about players in and out of bounds at the same time:
Player Out of Bounds
4.2.1. a. A player or an airborne player is out of bounds when any
part of his person touches anything, other than another player or game
official, on or outside a boundary line (A.R. 4-2-1-I and II).

[sloth]

Originally Posted by GoodScout

Let's assume that it's a defender that goes OOB on his own volition chasing the fumble, and then steps back inbounds and recovers it. My take would be that the ball would be dead as soon as he touched it, you'd have illegal participation, and you'd have fun explaining to the defensive coach that since neither team gained possession before the ball became dead, it goes back to the offense -- with the IP penalty tacked on.

I agree on the illegal participation..however, why kill the play? Unless he is still OOB when he recovers (or touches) the ball; I'd drop the flag and let the play finish.

[GoodScout]

Originally Posted by sloth

I agree on the illegal participation..however, why kill the play? Unless he is still OOB when he recovers (or touches) the ball; I'd drop the flag and let the play finish.

Oh, I wouldn't kill it instantly. Barring any other live-ball fouls, wouldn't you'd still enforce the defense's IP from either the point of touching or from the previous spot depending on whether the recovery took place ahead of or behind the LOS?