Punting / Illega Touching / Touchback question

[Texas_Newbie]

Team A punting from 50 yard line.

Team B makes no attempt to return.

As it's rolling, Team A scoops it up at the 5yd line and for some reason strolls into EZ.

Touchback or illegal touching at the 5 yd line?

[HoustonUmp]

If Team A possessed the ball when scooping it up at the 5, the ball is dead there.  It would be illegal touching, but you can have illegal touching without the ball becoming dead.

[ElvisLives]

Short answer:  Illegal touching by A; B’s ball a the spot where A first touched the ball.

Full explanation:
When a scrimmage kick has crossed the neutral zone, no player of Team A may touch the ball before it is touched by Team B.  Such touching by A is illegal touching, which gives Team B the privilege of taking the ball at any spot of illegal touching.
Also, when a player of Team A possesses the ball that is loose from a scrimmage kick that has crossed the neutral zone (regardless of touching by either team), the ball becomes dead at that spot of possession.
So, in this case, the ball becomes dead when possessed by A at the B-5, and A’s touching of the ball is illegal, so B gets the ball at the B-5.
The fact that the A recoverer carried the ball across B’s goal line is moot and irrelevant, since the ball was already dead.

Robert

[Cowman52]

 Sounds like some kid thought it would be a real cute stunt,  think I could wrangle at least 5 yards for a dead ball delay of game.  Stupidity should never go unpunished.

[Joe Stack]

When Team A possesses a kick, the ball is dead. This is a catch or recovery by the kicking team. It isn't illegal touching because you can't really have both touching and possession by rule. (Yes, I know possession requires physically touching the ball). Illegal touching privilege goes away when there is a live ball foul by either team (accepted). I can't think of an example where it would apply but don't confuse the issue when the real answer is catch or recovery. 

[Kalle]

It isn't illegal touching because you can't really have both touching and possession by rule. (Yes, I know possession requires physically touching the ball).

"It [touching] always precedes possession and control."

I agree that in this particular case it doesn't really matter.