Forced touching on punt during Clemson-Georgia game

[Harry]

With 5:44 remaining in the 4th quarter, Georgia punts.  The ball is bouncing towards the Clemson goal line.  A player of Georgia blocks a player of Clemson into the ball and the ball bounces around in the end zone.  Another player of Clemson picks it up and advances it to around the Clemson 9 yard line.

Rogers Redding sent a text to the announcer stating that "forced touching is disregarded."  Interesting play and worth discussion of both rules and mechanics.

[TxSkyBolt]

If it was untouched by B (forced touching is no touching) and the ball made it into the EZ, should have been blown dead as a TB. Likely the officials didn't notice it was forced touching??

[Kalle]

Either they didn't notice it, or they didn't realize that it should have been ignored (and didn't report it to the referee).

The interesting thing is the BJ mechanics here. When and where to should the BJ have retreated? Now he ended up in the middle of the play, which is always a bad place to be.

[InsideTheStripes]

I haven't figured out how to embed on this site yet:

http://player.vimeo.com/video/73595008

[TxSkyBolt]

That would be a very hard thing to process real time, but if the block into the ball was seen, it could be corrected post play.

[NVFOA_Ump]

That would be a very hard thing to process real time, but if the block into the ball was seen, it could be corrected post play.

I would agree.  The result of the play can almost always be fixed after the fact if we don't have a quick whistle, but if we have a quick whistle and the result didn't end up to be forced touching we would have a potential mess.  In a game with IR, I think this one was handled correctly if none of the on-field officials was sure that we had a forced touching situation.

[Diablo]

The interesting thing is the BJ mechanics here. When and where to should the BJ have retreated? Now he ended up in the middle of the play, which is always a bad place to be.

Given the location on the field, I'd say the B should not have come up to get a side view.  Leave that for the S & F.  The B should have stayed on the goal line and wide.  Thein, as the ball ball bounced into the end zone, he should have moved deeper.

On another matter:
As the ball carrier is sweeping wide to get out of the EZ, note the block by B36 on A43/5(?) in the EZ.  If B had muffed the kick without being forced, would you flag B36's block?

[Welpe]

The Team B player seemed to be on a path towards the ball as it is, not to mention the fact that he initiated the block that put him in contact with the ball. I know the rule does not go into much detail but from a philosophy standpoint is this enough for forced touching?

[Jpdeemer]

So if the touching was supposed to be ignored... why did B drop his beanbag?   What is the correct mechanic? 

[Diablo]

So if the touching was supposed to be ignored... why did B drop his beanbag?   What is the correct mechanic?

If B's touching was the result of the B player being blocked into the ball, do nothing more than officiate the game.
If B's touching was not due to the B player being blocked into the ball, give the tipped signal (S11).
Bean bags are to be dropped if a member of Team A touches the ball and he was not blocked into the ball.

[mishatx]

So if the touching was supposed to be ignored... why did B drop his beanbag?   What is the correct mechanic?

If you are holding the beanbag, your brain wants nothing more than to drop it, even if it's not correct.  I say keep it on your belt.