Illegal Batting of a Kick (Video)

[Suudy]

Watching the Redding video on youtube from a couple of weeks ago, a play about batting got me thinking.



Watch example #5, at 4:15 in the video.

I get the flag for illegal batting. What I'm trying to understand is the enforcement given. The WH says that the penalty will be enforced from the end of the kick.

Is illegal touching (first touching in NF) ignored in this case? Isn't the spot of the bat and the spot of illegal touching the same? So why not 10 yards from where the ball would be put into play?

How would this be enforced from in NF?

[ump33]

Under NF Rules, R has the following options:

1 - Take the result of the play (spot where the kick was downed) 1st & 10
2 - Take the ball at the spot of 1st Touching (also the spot of the Illegal Batting) 1st & 10
3 - Enforce the Illegal Batting from the Previous Spot (Loose Ball Play) and replay the down 4th & whatever.

Not sure about NCAA, but if I understood RR's Video correctly R/B has the following options:

1 - Enforce the Illegal Batting from the Previous Spot (Loose Ball Play) and replay the down 4th & whatever
2 - Take the result of the play and "Tack on" the Illegal Batting from the Dead Ball Spot 1st & 10
3 - Take the ball at the spot of Illegal Touching (also the spot of the Illegal Batting) 1st & 10

[Suudy]

Now I got it. 6-2-5:

"The right of R to take the ball at spot of first touching by K is canceled if R touches the kick and thereafter during the down commits a foul or if the penalty is accepted for any foul committed during the down."

I've always read that as a foul by R cancels the right of first touching. And the phrasing "or if the penalty is accepted...." I presumed that the "the" in this sentence refereed to the antecedent (a foul by R). It seems this should be read that any accepted foul during the down cancels the right of first touching.

Hence the choices are (using your numbering for NFHS): 1) decline the penalty and take the result, 2) decline the penalty and take the spot of first touching, or 3) accept the penalty, 10 yards from the previous spot and replay the down. The only distinction from the NCAA version is that the NCAA permits the penalty, if accepted, from being enforced from dead ball spot.

So, a bit of twist.

4th and 10 from the K 30. K8 kicks and the ball is bounding near the R-30, where K20 bats the ball toward R's EZ. R5 picks up the ball at the R-10 and runs to the R-40 where he is tackled. Choices?

For NFHS the choices are 1) decline the penalty and take the ball at the A40, 1st and 10, 2) decline the penalty and take the ball at the spot of first touching, 1st and 10 at the A30, and 3) K's ball, 4th and 20 from the K20.

But for NCAA it is slightly different. They are 1) decline the penalty and take the ball at the A40, 1st and 10, 2) decline the penalty and take the ball at the spot of illegal touching, 1st and 10 at the A30, 3) accept the penalty and add it to the dead ball spot, 1st and 10 at the 50, or 4) K's ball, 4th and 20 from the K20.