Pick your ruling

[Mike L]

Originally Posted by vtbackjudge

Gentlemen,

I'm a new poster to this forum, however have been following it for a while and have learned a lot. One question about the subject ruling, specifically the asserted answer of C. How can we have a SAFETY for A when it was A's PASS that was the force that put the ball into B's End Zone. It is clear from the articulation of the Situation that B got the ball with "Clean Hands" in their end zone and that the ball did not leave the end zone before the ball was forward handed to a fellow team mate (resulting in a foul by B after the COP (by Rule 7-3-2 & 7-3-3). Where in the rules (pls reference) does the force of the ball become dismissed and not a factor when involving the opponent's end zone that would support the ruling of a Safety for A ??? If the ball had become dead in B's end zone would we not have a Touchback (Rule 8-5-3-D) with the Basic Spot being the succeeding spot under Rule 10-4-5-D ? Does B's penalty in their end zone trump/supersede the force that put the ball there ??? I'm at a loss here.

VT,
don't overcomplicate it. It's simple penalty enforcement rules.
A's pass put the ball into the enzone & B caught it. If they run it back all the way, if they run it back out to some yard line, if the play ends in touchback, the Basic Spot becomes where the run ends except for the touchback, which by rule moves the BS to the 20 yard line.
So, now you consider the foul. Team B is in possession, with clean hands, and has fouled behind the Basic Spot. Where do you enforce it from? It's running play enforcement so.....spot of the foul due to the all-but-one prin. The spot is in B's endzone...and what is the result of having to enforce a penalty from their endzone? Safety.