scrimmage kick

[phansen]

Team K is up by 2 TD's late in the game and is trying to take time off the clock. K punts on 4th down. R has no returrner as they try an all out rush that is unsuccessful. The ball is kicked downfield and rolls to a stop with several K players surrounding the ball and no R players nearby. K does not down the ball but just gathers round the ball as more time is taken off the clock.
When do you blow the whistle to kill the play and stop the clock? Immediately when it stops rolling? Or how long do you wait?

[Brett]

In this situation, I blow it dead (provided the ball is stopped) as soon I make the determination that R is not planning on fielding it.

[bcl1127]

I believe that in this case you can use the rule that states a ball becomes dead when it is motionless on the ground, and blow the play dead there. There is no requirement for K to down the ball. Once the ball is at rest, the play is over. I am using your scenario above where there is no R player near the ball.

[DesertZebra]

Yes, blow it dead when there is no play being made on the ball. Same thing for balls that are 'first touched', if the ball after being touched lays there with no one from R making a play on it, blow it dead, rather than waiting for someone, either R or K, to pick it up.