Intresting test question

[Navcom]

4th and 10 at 50. Team A punts. A22 illegally touches the punt at the B-10. B1 recovers the ball and runs to the B-30, where he fumbles. A44 recovers and runs across Team B's goal line. During B1's run, Team B was flagged for blocking below the waist at the B-20. Ruling?

[NVFOA_Ump]

Illegal touch spot is the B-10 which is where B will end up getting the ball.  The Illegal Touching privilege is only canceled if there is a live ball foul with an accepted penalty or live ball offsetting fouls, and if A accepts the Illegal Low Block on B during the return (prior to the fumble) then the spot after enforcement would still be the B-10.  (Ref. AR 6-3-1-I)

[Johnponz]

I beg to differ:

10-2-5 15 yard penalties for personal fouls are enforced on the try or succeeding kickoff at the option of the scoring team. 

So A will accept the penalty for B's foul, and it will most likely be administered on the kick off.  The acceptance will cancel the illegal touching and the TD by A will score.

This would be a totally different result if the foul had a 10 yard penalty such as a hold because those fouls cannot carry over to the kick off and would be automatically declined on a TD play.

[ElvisLives]

Team A will obviously accept the 15-yard penalty, which is penalized either on the Try or on the succeeding kickoff.  The acceptance of a penalty (by either team) cancels Team B's ability to accept the illegal touching privilege. 6-3-2-b.
A, Try, B-3, with succeeding KO at the 50.  Or, A, Try, B-1 1/2, with succeeding KO at the A-35.

Had the foul not been a personal foul, the (5 yard or 10 yard) penalty could not be "carried over" to the Try/succeeding KO, so there will be no possibility of Team A keeping the TD.  If A accepts the penalty, the penalty is enforced with the spot of illegal touching (B-10) as the enforcement spot, with B retaining the ball (since the foul occurred during B's run).  B, 1/10, B-5. 
If Team A declines the penalty, then Team B will invoke the illegal touching privilege and take the ball at the B-10.   AR 6-3-2-IV.

Robert

[Johnponz]

I agree with Elvis because of the illegal touching the penalty can be enforced on the 5 or 10 yard Penalty.

 However it would be enforced using the 3 and 1 principle.  In this case the end of the related run was the B30 (Basic Spot)the foul was by the team in possession at that time which was behind the basic spot so the penalty would be administered from the B20. The 10 yard Penalty takes the ball to the B10 so you get the same result if A accepts or declines the penalty.  1 and 10 for B from B10 either way.

[ElvisLives]

I agree with Elvis because of the illegal touching the penalty can be enforced on the 5 or 10 yard Penalty.

 However it would be enforced using the 3 and 1 principle.  In this case the end of the related run was the B30 (Basic Spot)the foul was by the team in possession at that time which was behind the basic spot so the penalty would be administered from the B20. The 10 yard Penalty takes the ball to the B10 so you get the same result if A accepts or declines the penalty.  1 and 10 for B from B10 either way.

In full disclosure, this is a rule that Redding changed by interpretation during my brief ‘retirement,’ so I have no actual on-field experience with it (does anybody?) and was going by the strict reading of the ARs.  Strict reading of the ARs led me to believe the spot of illegal touching is the enforcement spot.  But, strict reading may not be correct, in this case.  Your explanation of the penalty enforcement is more logical.  It would be nice if Shaw were to put that exact play in a bulletin.

Robert