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Football Officiating => National Federation Discussion => Topic started by: Badger1 on October 29, 2017, 08:22:10 PM

Title: Illegal touching by lineman of airborne fumble?
Post by: Badger1 on October 29, 2017, 08:22:10 PM
Had this play take place over the weekend of a sub varsity game.  The quarterback was in the pocket and was legally hit by a defensive player before the quarterback's arm started forward to release the ball.  The impact by the defensive player caused the ball to go forward in the air(fumble) and was muffed by a lineman who tried to catch the ball but dropped it.  The ball was never tipped by the defensive player when contact was made to the quarterback.  I felt this was illegal touching by an ineligible as the ball (which I believe was a fumble) was almost caught by the lineman but dropped it.  The Redding Study Guide makes a difference between catching a fumble versus recovering a fumble.  The referee felt that since this wasn't actually a pass that illegal touching didn't apply.  Would like your opinions please.  Thanks.
Title: Re: Illegal touching by lineman of airborne fumble?
Post by: GA Umpire on October 29, 2017, 08:29:44 PM
The ball was never tipped by the defensive player when contact was made to the quarterback.  I felt this was illegal touching by an ineligible as the ball (which I believe was a fumble) was almost caught by the lineman but dropped it.  The Redding Study Guide makes a difference between catching a fumble versus recovering a fumble.  The referee felt that since this wasn't actually a pass that illegal touching didn't apply.  Would like your opinions please.  Thanks.

Please refer to 7-4-2.

ART. 2 . . . If a fumble or a backward pass is caught or recovered by any player, he may advance.

This appears to state it is "not" illegal touching if any player can advance a fumble.
Title: Re: Illegal touching by lineman of airborne fumble?
Post by: ncwingman on October 29, 2017, 09:12:05 PM
Also look at 7-5-13. Illegal touching is of a legal forward pass. If it was a fumble, it wasn't a pass, even if it was forward.
Title: Re: Illegal touching by lineman of airborne fumble?
Post by: NVFOA_Ump on October 30, 2017, 05:32:18 AM
Almost always best to start with Rule 2 Definitions.  Start with fumble 2-18 and passing 2-31.  Illegal touching does not apply to fumbles as noted in the previous posts.
Title: Re: Illegal touching by lineman of airborne fumble?
Post by: Ralph Damren on October 30, 2017, 07:41:05 AM
On theme of this topic, here's an early-bird trivia....

(1) Lefty, the QB, is hit at A's 5 and the ball shoots forward.
(2) Big ole' Bubba, the noseguard, eyes light up as the airborne fumble sails his way.
(3) At A's 8 ,Bubba swipes at the sailing pigskin with his front paws while dreaming of a date with the prom queen occurring if he can rumble in the  end zone with the game winning touchdown >:D ^TD >:D :-*.
(4) Alas, the airborne ball bounces off his front paws and then bounces off the dreaded pylon.

YOU MAKE THE CALL........

(A) TOUCHBACK, THE BALL WOULDN'T HAVE MAKE IT BACK TO THE END ZONE WITHOUT THE HELP OF BUBBA nAnA _____

(B) SAFETY, LEFTY SHOULDN'T HAVE FUMBLED IT_____

(C) TOUCHDOWN, GIVE BUBBA A BREAK______

(D) APPLY RULE 1-1-6, SCORE A ONE-POINT  ROUGE(CFL TERM) FOR B AND GIVE BALL TO A AT A'S 10____
Title: Re: Illegal touching by lineman of airborne fumble?
Post by: ncwingman on October 30, 2017, 07:53:01 AM
B -- That's a safety.

It can't be A as Bubba cannot apply a new force to a fumble in flight. Once it hits the ground, it's technically possible, but not before then. The ball is never in Bubba's possession in the end zone, so it can't be C and the CFL renamed the Rouge to a Single several years ago.

Ultimately, it's Lefty's force that propelled the ball across the goal line where it became dead, ergo, safety.
Title: Re: Illegal touching by lineman of airborne fumble?
Post by: Ralph Damren on October 30, 2017, 08:05:59 AM
NCwingman nailed it  aWaRd tiphat: !!