Rules Quiz 3, Question 5

[psv]

Why is this a safety and not a touchback?  Why isnt the continuity of downs broken when the ball crosses the neutral zone (5-1-4-b)?

5. Fourth and 10 at the A-5. Punter A27 is standing in his end zone when he punts the ball. The kick crosses the neutral zone and strikes B38 in the helmet at the A-10. The ball then rebounds back into Team A’s end zone, where A27 recovers, advances and steps out of bounds at the A-10.

a. Touchback. Team A’s ball, first and 10 at the A-20.
b. First and 10 for Team A at the A-10.
c. Safety. Team A free kick at the A-20.
d. The touching by B38 is ignored as forced touching.

REFERENCES: 6-3-6, 8-5-1, 8-7-2
COMMENTS: Because the ball crossed the neutral zone, it is dead when A27 recovers. The impetus for the ball being in the end zone is due to the kick, so the play results in a safety.

[Morningrise]

Once a kick touches anything beyond the neutral zone, Team A can never advance it, regardless of where bounces to. The play always ends if Team A recovers such a kick.

In this play it's dead in Team A's end zone. So it must be either a touchback or a safety. But which one? The answer to that always depends on the impetus.

Impetus is charged to a player who punts the ball. It is NOT charged to a player whose helmet it bounces off. So the ball is dead in A's end zone with A's own impetus. Safety.

[psv]

Understood.  My question is why doesnt 5-1-4-b come into play here with the continuity of downs broken with a scrimmage kick crossing the neutral zone?

[mishatx]

Continuity of downs is irrelevant; the ball is dead in the endzone and Team A is responsible for that.

[maven]

Understood.  My question is why doesnt 5-1-4-b come into play here with the continuity of downs broken with a scrimmage kick crossing the neutral zone?

The continuity of downs is indeed broken. You mention b, but f and h also apply.

Why would any of those entail that the result of this play is a TB?

[Andrew McCarthy]

If you take the EZ out of the equation... If the ball rebounded to the A1 and Team A recovered there it would be 1/10 for Team A at that spot.

[dvasques]

Team A or Team B?

[Kalle]

Team A or Team B?

Team A. Team B touched the kick after it crossed the neutral zone, so the catch/recovery by team A is legal.

[Rulesman]

Ironically, the same question is on the Federation Part I test.

[dvasques]

right... I missed the touching beyond the NZ