Touchback or Saftey???

[ajkottke]

Team A has the ball 1st and Goal from B's 3.

A3 fumbles the ball into B's endzone. B1 picks up the fumble, runs latterally for 5 yards and then throws the ball out the back of the endzone.

Is this a touchback or saftey? Why? (NFHS Rule)

A3's fumble forced the ball over the goal line.
B1's backward pass forced the ball over the end line.

Regards,
AJ

[Schmidt MJ]

Originally posted by ajkottke
Team A has the ball 1st and Goal from B's 3.

A3 fumbles the ball into B's endzone. B1 picks up the fumble, runs latterally for 5 yards and then throws the ball out the back of the endzone.

Is this a touchback or saftey? Why? (NFHS Rule)

A3's fumble forced the ball over the goal line.
B1's backward pass forced the ball over the end line.

Regards,
AJ

This is a touchback! B1 throwing the ball out of the back of the endzone is totally irrelevant to this call. All that matters is what force put the ball into the endzone. I don't have my rule book with me so I can't give you the rule #, but force is only a factor on plays involving the goalline and only in one direction, from the field of play into the endzone. If the force which put the ball in the opponent's endzone was A's fumble, and it then becomes dead either in the opponent's possession or by going OOB, it is a touchback. All that matters here is how it got into the endzone and if it was declared dead there. It does not matter if it went OOB over the endline or not or who caused it to go OOB, only that it became dead behind the goalline.

[ajkottke]

Thanks Schmidt MJ

I found a similar play in the NFHS case book.

Page 18. 2.13.2

AJ