If the L had stayed at the line a bit longer and bagged the spot where A picked up the ball this would have looked much better.
I ask this question because I believe there may be a common thread here between NCAA and NFHS rules on this issue. I believe the consensus is that, for NFHS, the ball crossed the actual neutral zone, and was possessed by a kicking team player, which makes the ball dead. If that is correct, then what is the point of dropping a spot marker (bean bag) at that spot? Spot markers are used to mark certain spots on the field,
when the ball will remain alive after some event has occurred (such as a fumble, illegal touching, end of a scrimmage kick, or where possession is gained with a potential 'momentum' ruling). If the ball becomes dead at the moment of possession, then the covering official should simply signal for the clock to stop and mark the dead-ball spot with his foot, as we do for every dead-ball between the goal lines. What does dropping a spot marker at a dead-ball spot accomplish?
OK, if the covering official is uncertain if the ball should be declared dead, and he wants to allow play to continue, sure, drop a bean bag at the spot where possession was gained, and continue to officiate. Then, you can come back to that spot, if needed (although we all need to be better than that).
My point is that, since we first got bean bags in the late 70's, 1) many Bs (in particular) still hold them in their hands on punts, and 2) bean bags get dropped at dead-ball spots frequently, both nonsensically. When we first got bean bags, NCAA officials were so afraid of NOT getting the bag down on the end of a kick, in particular, they decided to hold them in their hands on punts. That was understandable, since most officials at that level had been officiating for many years, and those guys were not at all accustomed to getting a bean bag down for ANYTHING, and certainly didn't want their jobs jeopardized because they forgot to mark the end of a kick. But, let's see....2022 minus 1978 (or so) = 44 years. Ain't many folks around that officiated football during the days before bean bags - certainly not at the NCAA level. Everybody working today - NCAA and NFHS - have had plenty of experience with bean bags. Just like your foul marker (flag), it is a tool to be used at the proper moment. Anybody holding their flag in their hand when a down starts? Anybody? Anybody? Bueller...?
What is still happening when an official carries his bean bag in his hand - NCAA and NFHS - is that, when some other event happens, for a which a bean bag is totally inappropriate, the official 'reacts' and drops/tosses his bean bag for that other event, and then he doesn't have his primary bean bag available when he does need it.
Example 1: Kicking team player commits KCI on a punt receiver. The B (with bean bag already in hand) reacts and throws his bean bag at the spot. He realizes he needs to get his flag down, so he begins grabbing for his flag, gets it out, and throws it at the spot, too. Meanwhile, the ball is bouncing around, gets touched by a kicking team player, and then recovered by a receiving team player, who begins to advance. No bean bag for either the illegal touch or the end of the kick.
Example 2: Punt receiver signals for a fair catch and makes the catch, no issues. B sounds his whistle, signals for the clock to stop, and moves to the dead-ball spot (progress being marked by a sideline official) and drops his bean bag. Why? What good does the bean bag do at that point? What's that you say? It indicates illegal touching? S16 does a much better job of that.
I see both happen frequently, every year.
Put your tools on your belt, know when and how to use your tools, and use the appropriate tool when you need it.
