Punt Play

[JasonTX]

A fun one to explain to the coach:

4th and 16 at the A-30.  A90, lined up 12 yards behind the snapper and prepared to receive the snap for an apparent punt.  Upon receiving the snap, he takes off running to his right as he is a rugby style kicker.  He is clearly outside of the tackle box and punts the ball away.  Just after he kicked the ball and prior to regaining his balance, B22 launched and made forcible contact with the crown of his helmet into A90's chest.  The ball subsequently rolls out of bounds at the B-40.  Ruling?

[dammitbobby]

There's no foul for roughing the kicker as he loses kicker protection once he carries the ball outside the tackle box prior to kicking the ball. (AR 9-1-16-VI). B22 has committed a foul for 9-1-3 targeting. This foul is enforced under PSK rules (10-2-3) because the foul occurred during a kick that was not a try, successful field goal, or in an extra period, the ball crossed the neutral zone, occurred before the end of the kick, and B will next put the ball in play.

The foul will be enforced 15 yards from the end of the kick, putting the ball at the B-25. B's ball 1/10 at the B-25, and B22 is disqualified from the game.

To your point, Coach A is livid because his punter was on the receiving end of a targeting foul and he doesn't get to keep the ball with an automatic first down.

[ElvisLives]

There's no foul for roughing the kicker as he loses kicker protection once he carries the ball outside the tackle box prior to kicking the ball. (AR 9-1-16-VI). B22 has committed a foul for 9-1-3 targeting. This foul is enforced under PSK rules (10-2-3) because the foul occurred during a kick that was not a try, successful field goal, or in an extra period, the ball crossed the neutral zone, occurred before the end of the kick, and B will next put the ball in play.

The foul will be enforced 15 yards from the end of the kick, putting the ball at the B-25. B's ball 1/10 at the B-25, and B22 is disqualified from the game.

To your point, Coach A is livid because his punter was on the receiving end of a targeting foul and he doesn't get to keep the ball with an automatic first down.

Or Team B will complain that, “That wasn’t roughing - he was outside the tackle box!!!”
Right coach. Not roughing. Targeting.
“There wasn’t any helmet to helmet contact!!!”
Right, again, coach. He hit him with the crown of his helmet.
“But he didn’t hit him in the head.”
Right, again, coach. But you can’t hit any opponent - not even the ball carrier - with the crown of your helmet, anywhere on their body.
“Ah, you guys just make up this s—-. That’s not a penalty and you know it!!!”
And, right again, coach. It is a FOUL, for which there is a penalty. 15 yards, and number B22 is disqualified. Ya got a replacement for him?

Actually, both will probably complain. That’s why we get the big bucks.

[sj]

This sounds like AR 9-1-16 VII - b. And if it is the same play, then it would be enforced from the previous spot. And then the penalty statement for 9-1-16 says that both roughing or any other personal foul committed against a kicker who is in the act or just after the kick is previous spot.

[ElvisLives]

This sounds like AR 9-1-16 VII - b. And if it is the same play, then it would be enforced from the previous spot. And then the penalty statement for 9-1-16 says that both roughing or any other personal foul committed against a kicker who is in the act or just after the kick is previous spot.

Comment deleted by author, who stands corrected, and grateful for the correction.

[Legacy Zebra]

It doesn’t contradict rule 10 at all. The penalty statement in 9-1-16 specifically says that any personal foul against a kicker in the act of or just after kicking is enforced at the previous spot. The same would apply if say a player dove and pulled the kicker’s face mask. So because we have a specific enforcement in a penalty statement, PSK (and all 3-and-1) does not apply.

There is an argument that it contradicts the penalty statement in 9-1-3 and -4, but we see similar things in other rules, coincidentally also in the kick game. 7-1-4 says that illegal formation is enforced at the previous spot. But 6-3-13 says that it can be enforced either at the previous spot or where the dead ball belongs to Team B. I would see this as an exception like 6-3-13 rather than a contradiction.

[ElvisLives]

It doesn’t contradict rule 10 at all. The penalty statement in 9-1-16 specifically says that any personal foul against a kicker in the act of or just after kicking is enforced at the previous spot. The same would apply if say a player dove and pulled the kicker’s face mask. So because we have a specific enforcement in a penalty statement, PSK (and all 3-and-1) does not apply.

There is an argument that it contradicts the penalty statement in 9-1-3 and -4, but we see similar things in other rules, coincidentally also in the kick game. 7-1-4 says that illegal formation is enforced at the previous spot. But 6-3-13 says that it can be enforced either at the previous spot or where the dead ball belongs to Team B. I would see this as an exception like 6-3-13 rather than a contradiction.

As Ed McMahon would have said, “You are correct, sir!”  I stand corrected. I glossed over “…or any other personal foul…” in the 9-1-16 penalty statement. No conflict at all.

10-2-1 eliminates any contradiction regarding 9-1-3/9-1-4 by telling us that 3&1 only applies when there is no enforcement spot specified in the penalty statement for the foul. For personal fouls against the kicker, as you have pointed out, those are penalized at the previous spot, per 9-1-16.
 
As for 7-1-4, the penalty statement includes the ‘exception’ that allows the penalty to be enforced at the spot where the dead-ball belongs to B, when the ball crosses the NZ. So, no ambiguity there, IMHO.