After punt fiasco
 

4th and 9 on A's 31. A punts and B1 muffs the ball and it bounces all the way back to A's 38 where A recovers. What do you rule?

First down for A(K) at the point of recovery.

A new series is awarded to K per 5-1-3f.......The team in possession at the end of the down, if R is the first to touch a scrimmage kick while it is beyond the expanded neutral zone, unless the penalty is accepted for a non post-scrimmage kick foul which occurred before the kick ended.

A first and ten from their 38.

Follow up. What I am unclear on is since the ball has gone behind the LOS can K advance or does the muff and the fact that you can not advance a muff supercede that. Thanks for your help.:confused:

When it comes to K advancing the ball they have to recover it behind the NZ as in 5-1-4. Also look at 4-2-2f. The down ends when K's recovers beyond the NZ. 5-1-3f pertains to a new series based on R's touch beyond the NZ.

If the K team recovered a muff behind the LOS, even if it was beyond the LOS for the R team to touch it, i.e they muffed it back behind the LOS, I would think that K could advance. Good question.

I believe that the prohibition for advancing a muffed kick and recovery by K pertains to the ball being beyond the LOS. Just my 2 cents...jim

Don't live by the saying that you can't advance a muff. It is a saying that helps people understand part of the rule. It is not THE rule.

The SOLE determining factor in whether or not K can advance a scrimmage kick (muffed or not) is where they possess it in relation to the neutral zone. If in or behind, they may advance. If in advance, they may not advance it.