Kick Play Result?

[SanDiegoStryker]

4/2 @ 50. K is in scrimmage kick formation. The ball is snapped and then punted to the R-40 where it is muffed by R88. The ball rolls way back behind the neutral zone to the K-40 where K22 picks up the ball. He scrambles around looking for an open receiver. Under heavy pressure from the defense he tosses the ball, at the K-40, to an area where there is clearly no receiver.

Is this intentional grounding? Where would the ball next be snapped and whose ball is it??

[scl-man]

The continuity of downs was broken when R touched the ball beyond the NZ.  K was then eligible to possess it.  When K picked it up behind the NZ, the ball remained live, and K could do what they wanted to do with it, including passing it.  K threw and incomplete forward pass, so Team K was still in possession at the end of the down.  The result would be K 1/10 @ K-35 after enforcing the foul for the intentional grounding at the end of the run.  The loss of down aspect would have no effect since a new series was awarded.  The clock would start on the snap since a new series is awarded following a legal kick.

[VALJ]

Wouldn't the correct LOS for the succeeding play be the 50, since the team R head coach will end up drawing a USC foul when you try to explain that an incomplete pass on fourth down doesn't result in him getting first down?

 

[bama_stripes]

Football Fundamentals II-3:

"lf R is first to touch a scr¡mmage kick beyond the neutral zone, a new series will be awarded the
team in possession at end of the down, unless there was a foul before the kick and the penalty was
accepted, or there was a double foul or there was an inadvertent whistle during the kick follow¡ng
the touching by R."

[SanDiegoStryker]

Great, thanks guys. I was sure A would get a new series but I couldn't decide if they could be hit with an intentional grounding. VALJ, yes, totally agree. I hope I never have to explain this to a coach, definitely difficult to sell.