"PSK" Foul and Illegal Touch (Guyer - Cedar Hill)

[TXMike]

Gonna take some time until I can get this clip up, but here is the play.

4th and 24 at the A-38.  Punt comes down at the B-32 and hits Team A player's helmet.  (Team B player was at the B-30 preparing to catch but let's ignore that part for now)  Ball bounces forward to the end zone where it hits, untouched by Team B.  There is a flag at the B-38 for holding by B during the kick. What next?

[Hawkeye]

Result of the play is a touchback, therefore the PSK spot is the B-20.  We have a team B holding foul beyond the basic spot so it is enforced from the basic spot, team A will accept the penalty, therefore B 1/10 B-10.  If team A declines the penalty, team B will elect the spot if illegal touching, B 1/10 B-32.  2-25-11-b, 6-3-9, 6-3-2-a, 6-3-2-b, 10-2-3, 10-2-2-d-4-b, 10-2-2-c-2

Assuming KCI was also called, then team B will likely accept offsetting fouls and make team A re-kick from the A-38

[Getting Fat]

I believe the result of the play is illegal touching by A @ B32.  After holding, B 1/10 @ B22.

[TXMike]

As has been well articulated above, an accepted penalty wipes out the illegal touch provision so you can't enforce from the 32.

[Getting Fat]

Thanks TxMike and Hawkeye, but that brings up another question - a hypothetical which we all love:

What would be the result if after the illegal touching (wiped out by B's holding penalty at the B-38), B muffs the ball and it is recovered by A?  Let's say A recovers at the 20 after B muffed at the 30.

[TXMike]

It may be helpful to clarify some things first.  The illegal touch is not nullified by the holding FOUL, it is nullified by accepting the PENALTY for that foul.  Since A is in legal possession of the ball when declared dead, PSK would not apply.  That means A can accept the penalty and it will be enforced from previous spot (foul on a kicking play).  If they decline the penalty, B would invoke the illegal touch provisions and take ball at spot of the illegal touch.  I suspect A will take the 10 yards and rekick (or possibly a 1st depending on the down and distance).  Lots of variables would play into A's decision but no way will they get the ball at the spot where they recovered.

[NTXRef]

How did they handle this in the game?

[TXMike]

Apologies.  I thought I had posted the clip already.  From announcer comments it sounds like there may have been some serious discussion going on during the timeout to try to determine where to spot. 

[yt=425,350]7k7tzi0KCck[/yt]

[NTXRef]

So, they got the first touching and the accepted penalty. ....ouch!

[Hawkeye]

Thanks TxMike and Hawkeye, but that brings up another question - a hypothetical which we all love:

What would be the result if after the illegal touching (wiped out by B's holding penalty at the B-38), B muffs the ball and it is recovered by A?  Let's say A recovers at the 20 after B muffed at the 30.

When we talk about the result of the play (as opposed to the final answer result), we mean - what would the next possession, down and distance be if there were no fouls or violations.  The actual next possession, down and distance will be determined after we deal with any fouls or violations that occurred through play.  The reason that we want to know this is because it helps us have an idea of what the offended team may decide when faced with their options.

In your play above, the result of the play is A 1/10 @ A-20.  However, there is an illegal touch and a foul to deal with, we deal with the foul first and if it is declined, then we deal with the illegal touch.  And Mike has explained that process.