Scrimmage Kick/Touchback
 

K kicks the ball. R1 is in position to catch the ball... the ball bounces and touches him at about his 7-yard line. I bag the spot where he touched the ball. The ball then continues to roll and breaks the goal line. I kill it for a touchback.

I thought I got this correct but now I'm doubting myself.

1) I bagged the spot where R touched the ball to show I saw the touch and that K could recover. Was this correct?

2) Did I properly rule on the touchback?

Thanks.

1.
No reason for the bag. You only need to bag where the kick ends or if K touches the ball while it is in motion. The spot where R muffs the ball has no bearing.

2.
Yes, the loose ball was still a kick that crossed R's goal line, that results in a touchback.

I know it has no bearing where he muffs it. However, I wanted to signify that the ball touched R.

Why?

So if he muffs it then picks it up, are you throwing 2 bags?

I suppose I wasn't too clear on the touching by R. I felt the touching by R wasn't dead obvious, it was touched after it hit the ground and R1 was going back to get the ball.

I'm not if it went straight through his hands or on a play where it's dead obvious he touched it. However, on the play described, I didn't think it was obvious.

So if it wasn't obvious he touched it I suppose I would throw two bags.

And where did you come up with this mechanic to use a bean bag to signal that R touched the ball? The bean bag is never used to signal that someone touched the ball. It is used to mark where things happen such as end of the run, end of the kick, first touching...

I'm not sure why you want to signify that R touched the ball. You do not need to signify to R, K, or the fans that R touched the ball. If K recovers, then the ball becomes dead and belongs to them at that spot. You will signify that he touched it when you signal 1st down for K.

I've heard some use the same tip signal used by Umpires on tipped passes as a way to indicate you saw the ball tipped. Don't throw a bean bag.

...and the purpose of having that marker is penalty enforcement, not informing the teams, fans, etc.

The spot of first touching by R is unrelated to penalty enforcement, which is why it doesn't get a bag.

I train my guys to give the tipped signal if R do touch the ball and therefore make it recoverable by K. Follow it with a 1st down signal in the appropriate direction (or touch back signal). It makes them think about what they have seen and the change in the status of the ball.

As a bonus it can help with discussions with the sidelines. Good signals from the crew plus good communication from a wingman may prevent a Coach getting upset in the first place. A punt is/isn't touched and K seemingly recover.
"Coach, did you see the covering official give the tipped signal?"

I can't count the number of times that this mechanic has ended discussions with a sideline almost before they begin.

I only expect a beanbag for a touch at a spot of first touching/illegal touching by K.

I have my guys carry two bags - one bag in case they have a touch by K, another bag for marking the end of the kick for PSK enforcement.

If anything... the bag for first touching by R might be more confusing. If it is even close, K is going to try and do everything they can to cover the kick and if in doing so, they are the first to touch the kick, then your bag signifies that something significant has happened.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but rather than throwing a bag to mark that, you should be winding the clock at first touching by R and then obviously killing it when the ball crossed the goal line for a touchback.

This play was posted as a scrimmage kick, the clock would start on the snap or be already running.
There is no such animal as "first touching" by a team-R player. You are confusing the wind on the touch for a free kick but that's not the case for this play.

You're right...I missed the biggest part of the question.

Mechanics are created to minimize confusion and not create it. If the ball is touched by R, a bean bag isn't necessary and I'd hate to turn around and look at two bean bags and then wonder which was which and what for, etc. Your touchback call was right on though.