Illegal touching on a Try
 

A51 lines-up as a tight end and catches a pass in the endzone for a two point conversion. We have a flag for illegal touching because players have to eligible by number and position. It includes a loss of down provision so the try is no good. My question is: do we assess that yardage penalty on the kick-off?

Thanks,

John

The penalty is: the try is no good. That is the assessment. So, no, it does not carry over to the kickoff.

Since illegal touching is a live-ball foul, the yardage penalty will apply only if the down is replayed. Since it also involves loss of down, the try fails and the yardage penalty lapses.

It may be helpful to think of it this way...

The penalty for the liveball foul for illegal touching is 5 yards and loss of down. So on 1st down it will be 2nd after enforcement, on 4th down it will be a turnover after enforcement, and on a try the try will be no good after enforcement...Remember what loss of down means...the loss of the right to replay a down.

HERE IS HOW I THINK ABOUT IT.

So the penalty in the OP is 5 yards and the loss of the right to replay the down, which means...assuming it was PAT from the 3, then the penalty would be 5 yards to the 8 but the loss of the right to replay the down means they've lost the right to replay the try, so our next play is a kickoff.

The penalty has already been enforced...there is nothing to carry over.