PSU/OSU Illegal Batting Question

[FeetBallRef]

For those folks who saw the PSU/OSU game, the OSU QB had the ball knocked out of his possession behind the line of scrimmage. The loose ball landed on the ground and was almost at rest when a PSU player intentionally batted the ball forward toward OSU's goal line where another PSU player recovered the ball.

Should this have been ruled "Illegal Batting"?

[TXMike]

I will have the video posted later today. Very tough call to make in a scrum like that. Easy to see how covering officials could have ruled player was just reaching for ball and his hand knocked it forward. If the call had been made it would have been supportable by video.

[bisonlj]

I thought the exact same thing when I saw it on video. It was clearly a bat with the back of the players hand and not an attempt to recover it. It's hard to say what view the official had. It appears the R had a clear view. It's also a situation in the heat of the moment and a very tough judgement call.

[DesertZebra]

Definitely a bat, but that would have been real hard to pick up at game speed, I could see the R calling it either way, and being supported in either case.

[TXMike]

Video:

http://www.youtube.com/v/6lHaJBxBq2k

[bossman72]

Looks to me more like he was reaching for the ball moreso than batting it... but that's JMHO

[FeetBallRef]

Originally Posted by TXMike

Video:

http://www.youtube.com/v/6lHaJBxBq2k

From TXMike's video, the announcers stated the the PSU player knocked it back to keep it away from OSU.