snap over punters head----safety?

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by Wolverine

This actually happened TWICE in our game last night in Georgia.

First play: Snap over punters head. Punter kicks ball out of the EZ from the 3 yd line. Flag on play for illegal kicking. Result: Safety with no option to decline penalty.

Second Play: Snap over punters head. Punter scoops ball at the 2 yd line and throws out of the back of the EZ with his plant foot inside the one. Flag on play for intentional grounding. Result: Safety... again with no option to decline penalty.

Were these calls correct?

Both are wrong.

First play: Illegal kick.
Accept the penalty: Replay the down from the 1 1/2 yard line.
Decline the penalty: Safety.

Second play: Legal play, safety. No option.

Originally Posted by CT1

Correct for Play 1.

Not true. Foul occurs at the 3 yard line.

Originally Posted by maven

2. I'd have to know more to assess whether that's a good IG call. If the passer was in the field of play when he committed the foul, the penalty is not a safety, though the result of the play is. If that was the case, your options should have been: accept (half the distance from the spot of the foul, LOD), or decline (safety). OTOH, if the foul occurred in the EZ, again you'd have an option between a safety or a safety.

There is no foul. You can't have IG on a backwards pass. Legal play.