Illegal forward pass

[dvasques]

Kickoff

B85 catches the kick in his end zone, runs out to B-12, circles trying to escape tacklers and goes back into his end zone.

In the end zone, he starts getting tackle but before he is down, he throws the ball forward.

The ball bounces on the ground in the end zone, then again at B-3, then back into the end zone, where it's recovered by A.
None of the other bounces and recovery are relevant since this is a forward pass, right?

Is this illegal forward pass penalty a safety?

[TxBJ]

Correct. The ball became dead when the forward pass hit the ground. The result of the play and the penalty enforcement both give a safety.

[Joe Stack]

Is there an actual result of the play absent a foul? In theory, how would you handle a decline of this penalty? Its only a safety because a foul was committed in the end zone by a team in possession. An incomplete forward pass doesn't result in a safety absent something else.

This is one play where the foul MUST be enforced as there is no alternative other than calling the whistle to end the play inadvertant (or ruling it a fumble, neither of which are correct) and replaying the kickoff.

[Bwest]

Is there an actual result of the play absent a foul? In theory, how would you handle a decline of this penalty? Its only a safety because a foul was committed in the end zone by a team in possession. An incomplete forward pass doesn't result in a safety absent something else.

This is one play where the foul MUST be enforced as there is no alternative other than calling the whistle to end the play inadvertant (or ruling it a fumble, neither of which are correct) and replaying the kickoff.

If the penalty is declined, you spot the ball at the end of the run. In this case the run ended in the end zone, so safety.

[Kalle]

See rule 7-3-7-c.

[NVFOA_Ump]

As noted by Kalle, doesn't this play trigger the 7-3-7-c exception if A declines the penalty?  Does the fact that this is a free kick make any difference on the outcome?

[Kalle]

As noted by Kalle, doesn't this play trigger the 7-3-7-c exception if A declines the penalty?  Does the fact that this is a free kick make any difference on the outcome?

The exception is specific for team A fouls only, so no, it does not kick in. The exception is there to allow team B to get the ball at say A-2 if team A fouls on the 4th down in their own end zone.