Forward Progress after COP

[Suudy]

Just to be clear, I'm not discussing any actual situation I've seen or heard about. This is just a hypothetical for purposes of rule discussion.

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I think you are over thinking this. I have yet to see a situation where a defender launches someone forward while a ball carrier is truly going down.

I haven't seen this either. Just a hypothetical that got me wondering.

Originally Posted by JRutledge

This is why you get paid the big bucks to decide when or if forward progress has been stopped.

But that's the point. Forward progress hasn't been stopped if A is driving B back into the field of play. Indeed, A is driving B forward.

Originally Posted by JRutledge

But if a player is trying to go down or cannot until his forward progress is stopped outside the end zone, he needs to learn how to do that better.

Fair enough. There's no rule prohibiting an opponent from driving the ball carrier forward. And normally that would be desirable.

Or perhaps a similar case. With less than a minute remaining in the game, A is trying to go down in bounds. B lifts/drives A forward and out of bounds.