Downing a punt
 

On a punt, if it hits a member of the punting team in the back, does that cause the ball to be downed? or does the kicking team have to physically touch it with their hands?

Which rule set?

In NFHS, the ball won't be downed unless it is either possessed by the kicking team or touched by the kicking team after the ball has come to rest (assuming the ball was untouched by the receiving team).

In NCAA, the only way to down the ball is to possess it.

Don't confuse this with a touch though. The OP still qualifies as a touch - it just doesn't kill the play. This touching spot is one of the spots R may take the ball.

...provided it's beyond the neutral zone (as expanded for the kick). Contact with the ball by players of the kicking team does not confer that option if it's on their side of that edge.

If the scrimmage kick is still in flight when the contact occurs, B has likely committed Kick Catching Interference.

The play I saw, was the receiving team called for a fair catch, the punt hit one of the kicking teams players in the back. The punt receiver was not close enough to catch the punt, however after it hit the player in the back, he picked it up and ran with it.

I wasnt sure if hitting the kicking teams player downed the ball or not.

They spotted the ball approximately where the fair catch was called. I assume that since the fair catch was called, you cant advance?? This was an college game by the way.

You are correct that once a fair catch is signaled, the ball will be dead when Team B (receiving team) recovers and they cannot advance the ball. The ball hitting the kicking team player in the back is considered illegal touching and in this case Team B would have the option of taking the ball at that spot or the result of the play.

Welpe,

Does this apply even if the receiving team has no chance at all to catch the ball? Ive seen the fair catch signal, and the ball sail way over the receiver. This was kinda the case I saw, the ball was 20 yards left of the receiver.

It still applies the same.

So if it was indeed called an illegal touch, you are saying the receiving team can advance ?

Of course. It's not dead, it's just a spot where certain options/enforcements can happen.

Edited to add -- B can never advance a kick once a B player signals for a fair catch.

No, they can't advance if they've signaled a fair catch. If the receiving team signals a fair catch, the ball will be dead as soon as they possess it. Absent a fair catch signal, the ball will still be live when they recover and they can advance it.

With an illegal touch, the receiving team simply has the right to have the ball placed where it was touched and will start their series there. They can also opt to accept the result of the play if that is more advantageous to them.

First touching. The receiving team can take results of play or take the ball at the spot where kicking team touched it.

Receiving team could pick the ball up run it 20 yds fumble and kicking team recover it. It would still be receiving teams ball at spot of first touching by kickers.