?safeties on turnovers?

[joeminnesota]

Am I correct in saying that in the NFL, when a defense player recovers a fumble in any area outside the endzone, but carries the ball into the endzone and is tackled, the result is a safety? And that this is true regardless of whether the player had his momentum carry him into the endzone or not.

But if a player who has intercepted a ball, has his momentum carry himself into the endzone, and either downs it or is tackled, the result is a touchback.

How do such rules translate over to high school and college football?

[Schultj]

In the NFL, the "momentum rule" allows you to receive a touchback on an interception if your momentum carried you into the endzone. In high school (other than TX), the momentum rule allows you to get the ball at forward progress (i.e. the one or two). The touchback is not awarded when downed in the endzone, only forward progress. Forward progress would also apply to fumbles.

[JasonTX]

Here is the NCAA rule and High School rule in Texas. Note that it is only applies to the Team B player. Team B player is not always the defensive player.

1. When a Team B player intercepts a forward pass, fumble or backward pass or catches a scrimmage or free kick between his five-yard line and the goal line and the runner’s original momentum carries him into the end zone, where the ball is declared dead in his team’s possession, the ball belongs to Team B at the spot where the pass or fumble was inter-cepted or the kick was caught (A.R. 8-5-1-V-VII).

2. When a Team B player recovers an opponent’s fumble, backward pass, scrimmage kick or free kick between his five-yard line and the goal line and the runner’s original momentum carries him into the end zone, where the ball is declared dead in his team’s possession, the ball belongs
to Team B at the spot where the fumble, backward pass or kick was recovered (A.R. 8-5-1-V).

[PSU213]

For the Fed. rule (HS, except for Texas), it is important to know that the "momentum exception" applies only to fumbles that are intercepted (i.e. caught out of the air), not fumbles that are recovered (i.e. already hit the ground).

For example, if B1 recovers a fumble "on the run" at his 2 yard line and his momentum carries him into his end zone, this is a safety, 2 pts. for A. If he were to have caught this ball out of the air, before it hits the ground, then B takes over at the 2 as per the momentum exception.

The momentum exception also applies to kicks caught (again, before they hit the ground) inside the 5, and interceptions of forward and backward passes inside the 5 where the original momentum takes the player into the end zone. In these cases, B gets the ball at the spot of the catch/interception.

[STEVED21]

Schultj,
The NFL momentum rule is the same as FED & NCAA. If it happens inside the 5, the ball is brought out to the spot of possesion, not "foward progrss". It is not a touchback.

Joe,

I believe the NFL changed the rule this year so that grounded fumbles are also covered.The Raiders recovered a loose ball last year on about the 5 and slid into the end zone on a wet field. It seemed crazy at the time that it was a safety so I guess they rethought the rule. IN FED & NCAA the ball would be dead upon recovery if it was recovered while the player was on the ground.