Fumble ?
 

A 1 and Goal - fumbles ball into end zone where B in a scrumb bats it out of the endzone accidentally. I've got a touchback - yes or no?:confused:

A's force of the fumble actually put the ball into the endzone. Touchback

The result of the play would be a touchback since A's fumble was the force that put the ball in the endzone. However, did B muff the fumble out of the endzone, or did he illegally bat it out? If you judge that he illegally batted it, the penalty would be assessed half the distance to the goal from the end of the run or previous spot (depending on where the fumble occured) and replay the down.

The only place the fumble could have occured was in the field of play, right? (Otherwise it would be a TD.) Half-the-distance is the only option ... or am I missing something?

Maybe it was outside of the 30...that'd be one heck of a fumble though. :D

You can't "accidentally bat" a ball. A bat is an intentional act.

If it was 1/10 from the B8 and they ran to the B4 where it was fumbled into the EZ, we would enforce from the B4. If it was 1/10 from the B1 and the snap was muffed or A33 fumbled the ball from behind the NZ and it went forward into the EZ, we would enforce for the previous spot.

"depending on where the fumble occured" refers to whether you will enforce from the end of the run (if fumble was beyond LOS), or previous spot (if fumble occured behind LOS).

Keep it simple. Force only applies to the ball being put into the end zone which in this case was the fumble. After the ball is in the end zone, no new force can apply. A simple attempt to recover the ball is not illegal or changes the status of the ball that was already in the end zone.

Peace

Enforce what?

Peace

Agreed, but a foul during the down can certainly change the final outcome of the play. I'm not sure if the "keep it simple" was directed at me or RefSmitty. My intent was to highlight the use of the word bat, which is an intentional act and illegal, in comparison to muff and the difference it could make on this play.

Actually keep it simple was not directed at anyone. It was to say that what a force is by definition. What happens in the end zone does not apply or change the force. I am not talking about penalties and penalties have nothing to do with force. A penalty is a separate issue and will be enforced base on what kind of foul it is and where and when it took place.

Peace