Thanks... I cant find anything that specifically covers that in the rule book or case book. The 2024 case book seems be more about reviewable plays . Mind pointing me to the rules section? Thanks again.
jra104, I continue to be impressed by your concern to understand the rules, in depth. Keep ‘em coming.
The “case” book is, indeed, just for replay issues. For games without replay, it is totally irrelevant.
The rule about the Continuity of Downs is 5-1-4, and the specific item for the situation you have presented is “5-1-4-b. A scrimmage kick crosses the neutral zone.”
When a scrimmage kick has officially crossed the neutral zone (touched the ground, any player, an official, or anything beyond the neutral zone), the previous series of downs is over, so, regardless of which team ends up with legal team possession of the ball, the next down will be either a try (because somebody scored a TD), a kickoff (following a try), or 1st down and 10. Obviously, if Team B has possession of the ball at the end of the down, they have 1/10 (or a try). But, that could be Team A, even though they were the kicking team, if the ball was touched by Team B beyond the NZ, and then Team A recovered the kick or recovered a Team B fumble.
Of course, a penalty may change all of that that. But, in the absence of a penalty, that is how the Continuity of Downs is broken, and what happens afterward.