• The KillerFrogs

Zebra - End of OU/ISU Game

Purp

Active Member
@Zebra Frog, when the OU player who picked off the 2 point conversion ran out of the back of the end zone why wasn't that ruled a safety? Had he run the other way into the end zone it would have counted as 2 points so why no safety? He was never down in the end zone before stepping out.
 

Pharm Frog

Full Member
@Zebra Frog, when the OU player who picked off the 2 point conversion ran out of the back of the end zone why wasn't that ruled a safety? Had he run the other way into the end zone it would have counted as 2 points so why no safety? He was never down in the end zone before stepping out.

not zebra but I think he would have had to advance the ball into the field of play and then retreated into the end zone before that would be a safety
 

Purp

Active Member
not zebra but I think he would have had to advance the ball into the field of play and then retreated into the end zone before that would be a safety
Doesn't he have to take a knee before running out of the back of the end zone, though? I'm sure you're right because absolutely nobody objected to it, but it seemed odd to me.
 

Zubaz

Member
Doesn't he have to take a knee before running out of the back of the end zone, though? I'm sure you're right because absolutely nobody objected to it, but it seemed odd to me.
I remember the 2008 BYU game when we picked them and ran out the back and thinking the same thing. I think if it's an INT in the endzone you can run out the back for a touchback. Could be wrong.
 

CountryFrog

Active Member
Running out of the back or side of the end zone always has the exact same effect as taking a knee in the end zone. As long as you've never established yourself in the field of play with the ball then it's a touchback. Whether on an INT or a punt/kick return. You just very rarely see anyone actually do that.
 

Realtorfrog

Full Member
I have on as well..... on the kickoff where the bu guy tried to pick it up and fumbled after we touched it....the announcers said he could have picked it up and advanced the ball and it would have stood but since he didn’t advance the ball but had a different outcome than advancing the ball it was a dead ball?????? So why not try it every time if you have absolutely nothing to lose???
 

Purp

Active Member
I have on as well..... on the kickoff where the bu guy tried to pick it up and fumbled after we touched it....the announcers said he could have picked it up and advanced the ball and it would have stood but since he didn’t advance the ball but had a different outcome than advancing the ball it was a dead ball?????? So why not try it every time if you have absolutely nothing to lose???
That one I called immediately. Once a player from the kicking team touches the ball any player from the receiving team has a free touch with no consequence. I don't know why this isn't done more often b/c it's not at all uncommon for the gunners to clip a ball around the 10 and let it roll unmolested to the 5. When they leave a couple yards of space the return man could easily swoop in to grab the ball and return it all the way for a score. The worst that can happen is he fails to secure it, the ball bounds into his end zone, and the kicking team pounces on it to give the return team the ball at the 10 yard line.
 

CountryFrog

Active Member
That one I called immediately. Once a player from the kicking team touches the ball any player from the receiving team has a free touch with no consequence. I don't know why this isn't done more often b/c it's not at all uncommon for the gunners to clip a ball around the 10 and let it roll unmolested to the 5. When they leave a couple yards of space the return man could easily swoop in to grab the ball and return it all the way for a score. The worst that can happen is he fails to secure it, the ball bounds into his end zone, and the kicking team pounces on it to give the return team the ball at the 10 yard line.
I've seen this happen on occasion because it is a zero risk scenario but it's incredibly rare for a couple reasons.

First, as a player on the return team you're ingrained with the fear of accidentally touching a punt and resulting in a turnover. So once the returner decides he's not going to catch the ball then everyone on the return team typically scatters to the point where the only people left around the ball members of the punt team. You just can't afford to take that chance that YOU touch the ball first and give it back to the other guys in prime field position just on the incredibly rare chance that maybe you might have an opportunity to carry out the scenario you described above.

That leads to reason #2 which is that, because so many people on the return team are scattered, even if the return man finds himself in a position to pick up the illegally touched ball without consequences then he is almost always going to find himself totally alone and surrounded by the punt team so what's the point anyway.

I've seen it, though, a couple times where the coverage team basically gives up on the play because they've seen it touched and it did lead to the returner picking it up and advancing it. That's what it takes, is for many or all members of the punting team to just completely lose their minds and responsibilities and give up on a play before the whistle is blown. And you don't see that happen very often.
 

helcap

Full Member
Another reason is that a lot of special team players don't know the rules. Last night in AppState South Carolina game on a kick off the App State returner signaled for a fair catch, but let the kick go. The other deep man picked it up and immediately knelt down, which gave them the ball on their own 4 yd line. Almost cost them the game
 

JockO de Frog

Active Member
Once the kicking team touches it intentionally or unintentionally, isn't it dead at that spot, period? How can the recieving team advance a dead ball?
 

JockO de Frog

Active Member
It’s not a dead ball because the receivers have an option
So at what point does it become dead? I have seen the punting team go down touch the ball and then everybody walks away with the ball still on the ground. Is it still alive? At what point does the official blow the whistle and make it dead? I don't know I'm just asking, but it sure seems strange.
 
On the INT in the EZ. Once it's intercepted, it's a touchback if he kneels down, fumbles and a teammate recovers, or runs it out of the EZ behind the Goal Line. If he brings it out and retreats back into his own EZ and is tackled or kneels down, it's a safety. If he runs around and fumbles in the EZ and the passing team recovers, it's a TD. Running it out the back or side of the EZ is a the same thing as taking a knee, which is the "safe" thing to do, but sometimes knuckleheads want to bring attention to themselves. :)

Initial call of it being TCU's ball on the punt was 100% totally incorrect, but they got together and got it right. If the kicking team is the first to touch the kick, the ball is NOT dead and the receiving team can pick up the ball, run, and even if they fumble it will come back to the spot of the illegal touching, assuming there are no fouls, etc.

Kuddos to those that answered these correctly.
 
So at what point does it become dead? I have seen the punting team go down touch the ball and then everybody walks away with the ball still on the ground. Is it still alive? At what point does the official blow the whistle and make it dead? I don't know I'm just asking, but it sure seems strange.
They should never touch it and walk away, as touching does not make the ball dead. A good special teams coach will teach them to reach down and pick it up, making it dead. I think this is why Reagor hangs around a rolling kick. He knows if the kicking team touches it and walks away, he can swoop in, pick it up and try and make a few yards knowing nothing bad can really happen. It makes me nervous to see him that close to an untouched kick sometimes. And, if he is blocked into the ball, he isn't deemed to have touched it.
 

JockO de Frog

Active Member
On the INT in the EZ. Once it's intercepted, it's a touchback if he kneels down, fumbles and a teammate recovers, or runs it out of the EZ behind the Goal Line. If he brings it out and retreats back into his own EZ and is tackled or kneels down, it's a safety. If he runs around and fumbles in the EZ and the passing team recovers, it's a TD. Running it out the back or side of the EZ is a the same thing as taking a knee, which is the "safe" thing to do, but sometimes knuckleheads want to bring attention to themselves. :)

Initial call of it being TCU's ball on the punt was 100% totally incorrect, but they got together and got it right. If the kicking team is the first to touch the kick, the ball is NOT dead and the receiving team can pick up the ball, run, and even if they fumble it will come back to the spot of the illegal touching, assuming there are no fouls, etc.

Kuddos to those that answered these correctly.
Zebra, please see my post just above yours. When does the official blow the whistle in that type of scenario?
 
Keep in mind this is only on scrimmage kicks. On Free kicks, the ball is alive until it touches down in the EZ without being touched by a receiving team player.
 
Top