Zebra
Somewhere in, NJ
Male, 62
I've officiated football for over 30 years, now in my 26th on the college level. I've worked NCAA playoffs at the Division II and III level. In addition, I've coached at the scholastic level and have been an educator for over 35 years. I have no interest whatsoever in being an NFL official! Ever!
Hey, coach! Tell your player to either catch it in the field of play or in the endzone. No indecision!!
Generally, officials will give the player the benefit of the doubt and say he's in the endzone. But if he is obviously straddling the line as you describe, he's caused all of us problems. It matters where the ball is, not the player. But if he throws it, he just screwed the pooch. If he throws it backwards, it's alive and the kicking team could recover it. If he throws it out of bounds backwards, it's a safety. If he throws it forward from the endzone, it's an illegal forward pass and the penalty is marked from the spot of the foul -- safety.
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Yo? Really?
No. What you describe is a foul. Intentionally kicking a ball - not a scrimmage kick - is a foul.
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Yes. As long as he doesn't impede the rrceiver's opportunity to catch.
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Once the punter has kicked and recovers and goes to be involved in the play (going after/tackling a runner) he's a player and is no different than any other player. Same with a QB after an interception. If the QB goes to tackle and participates in the play, he's fair game. If he just stands there, then you can't hit him.
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I believe all levels of football rules are pretty much in agreement on this. The NCAA rule book states: "Forward progress is a term indicating the end of advancement by the ball carrier or airborne pass receiver of either team and applies to the position of the ball when it becomes dead by rule."
The ball was held out and then the whistle blew. The ball was at a certain position - where Elliott had held it out - and that was where it was determined to have been when the runner's progress ended. It isn't much different from a ball carrier extending the ball over the goal line and then being pushed back; touchdown. Position of the ball.
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While unusual, it's the right thing to do. It may be that the official, possibly getting to it late or the offense ran the play quickly, was in the process of counting when the play went off. Yes, the official should be counting "faster" but the idea is to get it right. He did. If the official thought he had 12, a less than perfect solution could be to stop play if he thinks he has 12, count, then flag it. If there are 11, play on.
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I'm anot official, not a football historian.
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