Is it a touchback if the ball merely crosses the plane of the goal line even though it last hits in bounds?
Help me with the touchback call
- Thread starter o_fredgarvin
- Start date
In college, the position of the ball is what counts. In the pros, the position of the player is what counts.
Thus, in college, when the ball breaks the plane, it's a touchback, REGARDLESS of where the player is or whether he has set foot in the end zone. The player could actually be standing in the endzone, and as long as he swats the ball back before it crosses the plane, it's not a touchback. In the pros, however, it's just the opposite. The player cannot touch the endzone, but can dive into it and swat the ball back to save it from touchback.
I've never understood why the rules are different, but they're pretty much the exact opposite.
Thus, in college, when the ball breaks the plane, it's a touchback, REGARDLESS of where the player is or whether he has set foot in the end zone. The player could actually be standing in the endzone, and as long as he swats the ball back before it crosses the plane, it's not a touchback. In the pros, however, it's just the opposite. The player cannot touch the endzone, but can dive into it and swat the ball back to save it from touchback.
I've never understood why the rules are different, but they're pretty much the exact opposite.
Is it a touchback immediately upon crossing the plane? This has relevance because if the kicking team touches the ball first, someone from the returning team has the option of still returning and after the play choose to either take the ball where the kicking team first touched it or where they return it.
Thereceiving team can advance a ball out of the endzone (Pig Prather did this once). It does become a touchback when touched by the kicking team and the receiving team can not advance the ball.</p>
In theory, a returner could field a punt 3yards deep and bring it out (just like a kick-off). That's why the ref threw his beanbag in the end zone, but didn't blow the play dead until we controlled the ball. LSU's returner could have picked that ball up and tried to advance it.
they didn't call it a touchback, they called it illegal touching, I believe. I don't think the ball was in the endzone, but the ref thought the player that knocked it back jumped from the endzone. From the replay I saw the ball was at about the half yard line when the player hit it back towards the 6 yard line. The player jumped from outside the goalline and touched the ball while in the air above the goalline.
I am not sure about the rules regarding players in the air over the endzone touching the ball before it crosses the plain so I can't pass judgement on whether it was the right call. But it was not a ruled touchback by the ball crossing the plane.
I am not sure about the rules regarding players in the air over the endzone touching the ball before it crosses the plain so I can't pass judgement on whether it was the right call. But it was not a ruled touchback by the ball crossing the plane.