A little distraction - rules question

[AlistairCookie]

Last night, went to my old high school's (West Potomac) homecoming...

WP is down 15 points and punts from their own 45. Ball hits off of a Lake Braddock player and bounces into the end zone and Lake Braddock recovers - in the endzone.

WP sideline is livid cause the refs called it a touch back...that's a safety, right?

 

[krk1030]

Did the refs call that it hit him?

 

[nascarphenom]

after is hits the LB player, its a live ball. If LB recovers it back in the endzone, it should be a safety.

Was Ed Hakuli calling the game?

 

[CalvinTy]

Wait... if the ball was first hit *IN* the end zone... and bounces around... then held by the receiving team... that's a touchback.

* CalvinTy

 

[CalvinTy]

I now see that you are saying the ball "then goes into the endzone"... but still, the ball hasn't been possessed yet so it's still a touchback (I have seen players trying to catch a ball few yards outside the end zone but then once they gain possession inside the end zone, they kneel down). The official signals touchback way before any kicking players arrive... so guess that's okay as long as it was not possessed and then fumbled first.

* CalvinTy

 

[krk1030]

If the player touches the ball in the field of play, its a live ball.....

 

[AlistairCookie]

It was not an attempted field, it hit a player in the back on the fly around the 10 yard line...safety is what I thought for sure, but the refs were adamant that it was a touchback.