Punt Return Penalty

[InsideTheStripe]

Originally Posted by MikeStrybel

Last week, our Featherweight (U10, below 100#) team was set to receive a punt. We have had trouble blocking on these, so we put two receivers back to receive and brought another two about fifteen yards behind the LOS. At this level, we are not allowed to rush the punter. The other team kicked it and as soon as one of our boys touched the ball, a ref blew the whistle and tossed his flag. He announced an illegal formation penalty and marked it 10 yards from the spot of the touch.

As has been pointed out, you must have 8 on the line when receiving punts at this level in the TCYFL. Unfortunately, the rules don't indicate what the penalty should be for such an infraction, but I doubt I'd have gone with 10 yards from where the ball was received. It has to be a foul at the snap, I'd probably go with 5 yards but it wouldn't be PSK. If the offense accepted the penalty, it would be 5 yards replay 4th down (or first down if the LTG was reached).

I've never considered how I would penalize this, because at this level and below I won't blow the ball ready until both teams are lined up legally.