Runner touches ball to ground
 

Thursday night varsity game

QB scrambles and as he breaks a tackle he puts his hand down with the ball and touches the ground, and continues running for another 12 yards.

Coach screams, "He's down, ball touched the ground"

He goes so far as to request a coach-referee conference.

I said, "The ball is dead when a player in posession allows any part of his person to touch the ground other than hand or foot, and the ball is not a part of his person."

He disagreed, I found out today he called the state to complain about that play.

I've scoured my books and can't find his rule, and I couldn't find a case-book play to support our ruling.

Anyone know where he came up with that myth/rule?

You should have stopped at myth.

Ask him: "Coach, if he fumbled and picked the ball up, are you saying he's down? What's the difference?"

4-2-2 . . . The ball becomes dead and the down is ended:
a. When a runner goes out of bounds, is held so his forward progress is stopped or allows any part of his person other than hand or foot to touch the ground.

Was he charged with a time-out?

The ball touching the ground does not constitute any part of his person. IMHO. At a minimum it would be part of his hand in which case he is not down.

They'll let any idiot use a phone these days. :D

And they let these people rate US? :)