Colts-Jags block in back.
 

Watching the Colts-Jags game yesterday and there was one play where I wasn't sure how the penalty enforcement would go for NFHS rules.

Play: K 4th and 5 @ approximately K's 30. K1 punts the ball and R1(returner) waiting for ball at around R's 25. K10 is blocked in the back at about the R30 and is blocked into R1 who proceeds to muff the punt and the ball is recovered by K at the R23. Originally flag was thrown for KCI, but after discussion officials ruled K10 blocked in the back into R1 and have flag for block in the back prior to end of the kick. K declined block in the back penalty and took the ball at the R23.

How would this penalty be enforced in NFHS, if K accepted the penalty and if they declined the penalty?

NFHS would have been the same. I was confused because I was listening to the radio broadcast and they never said K recovered the ball. The original decision was to accept the penalty, enforced at the previous spot which gave K a first down. I assumed R had recovered it so I thought PSK (or the NFL version of that) would apply and R would retain possession 10 yard behind the end of the kick or the spot of the foul whichever was worse.

Since K recovered PSK doesn't apply. Accept the penalty and it's previous spot, 1st and 10 for K at the K40. Decline the penalty and the result of the play is K's ball 1st and 10 at the R23.

yes it would be the same, but you would always decline the foul & take the result of the play. The big question is why would they not take the ball where they recovered it at

Um ... they did.

Actually, they initially accepted the penalty and were going to take the ball 10 yards from the previous spot. After commerical Carey came back on and announced they would decline the penalty and take the ball at the spot of recovery. I would have loved to be a part of those discussions as they resolved this and presented the options to the Colts.