loose ball OOB

[cdoug]

So evidently my brain is still sleeping because I'm drawing a blank at this, so if you could help I'd appreciate it.

Team A is running toward B's endzone for a touchdown and fumbles the ball at the B3. It goes into the endzone, is muffed by B then A the B and goes OOB behind in the endzone. Ruling??

[maven]

Who forced the ball across the GL? It seems to be A's fumble. The ball subsequently went OOB behind the GL. Touchback. 8-5-3c

[jchamp]

What maven said. Only force on the ball was the fumble. It's probably the least common of the causes of touchbacks, but when it comes into play it's a doozy.

I think last year there was a Bowl game where a player was fumbling as he was being tackled near a goal line pylon. They had to review the play to determine whether the fumble went OOB before it got to the goal line. In one case you have A, 1st-and-goal @ B1, in the other you have B, 1st-and-10 @ B20. Enormous difference in game momentum.

[Bob M.]

Originally Posted by cdoug

So evidently my brain is still sleeping because I'm drawing a blank at this, so if you could help I'd appreciate it.

Team A is running toward B's endzone for a touchdown and fumbles the ball at the B3. It goes into the endzone, is muffed by B then A the B and goes OOB behind in the endzone. Ruling??

REPLY: No need to worry about who caused the ball to go OOB behind the goal line. All that matters is who caused the ball (supplied the force/impetus) to move from the field of play across the goal line.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Bob M.

REPLY: No need to worry about who caused the ball to go OOB behind the goal line. All that matters is who caused the ball (supplied the force/impetus) to move from the field of play across the goal line.

Exactly -- the only thing that matters is "who put the ball in the end zone?" It's Team A's fumble. Touchback.

[maven]

Originally Posted by Bob M.

All that matters is who caused the ball (supplied the force/impetus) to move from the field of play across the goal line.

I'm always cautious about how to phrase this point. It's not really about "who caused the ball to move across the GL," which is potentially misleading.

For example, A1 drops back to pass, B5 knocks the ball out of his hand and it goes into A's EZ and then OOB. B5 clearly "caused the ball to move across the GL," but by rule A's fumble is the force that put the ball in the EZ. So this play results in a safety, not a TB.

Even my earlier post might be misleading in this respect.

[Adam]

One of these days I'll learn. Even something gets discussed on the board, it happens in my games. It's been true in basketball, and it's now true in FB.

JV game this morning. White breaks a long run from the B 20, just as he gets close to the goal line, he tries switching hands and kicks the ball through the end zone for a touchback.

Frustrated coach asks the wing, "how do you fumble going into the endzone when no one touches you?"

[cdoug]

After waking up my brain that's what I thought. Thanks all.