Kickoff

Question
Victor,

First, let me thank you for volunteering to answer questions. I am a fellow AllExspert volunteer in a few of the religious sections, and I know that this can take time and effort.

My question is this... A co-worker and I got into a debate about kickoffs, and the rules concerning the receiving of the ball. Our point of contention is this; on a legal kickoff (of course by kickoff we mean the ball kicked from a tee at the beginning of a game, beginning of the half, or after points have been scored, and by legal we mean that it must go at least ten yards from the spot of the kick/or be touched by the receiving team) what happens if the receiving team does not touch the ball before it goes into the endzone, and the kicking team does take possession of it?

1. Is it the receiving teams ball at that spot the kicking team recovers the ball? This is what my co-worker thinks. I know this is correct on punts, but I don't think it is right on kickoffs.

2. Or is it the kicking teams ball at the spot where they  recovered the ball? This is what I think.

It is my understanding that if the receiving team does not touch or recover the ball on a kickoff, that the kicking team can recover the ball, but not advance it.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks again, and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!

Elder Greg  

Answer
Elder
The answer to your question is it is a touch back beacuse the ball becomes dead by rule once it is in the receiving team's End Zone untouched by the receiving team. Thuis it results in a Touchback.


Per Rule 6-7 Touching Ground On or Behind Goal Line
ARTICLE 7. The ball becomes dead and belongs to the team defending its goal line when a free kick is untouched by Team B before touching the ground on or behind Team B抯 goal line.

Per Rule 8 SECTION 6. Touchback
When Declared
ARTICLE 1. It is a touchback when:
a. The ball becomes dead out of bounds behind a goal line, except from an incompleted forward pass, or becomes dead in the possession of a player on, above or behind his own goal line and the attacking team is responsible for the ball being there (A.R. 6-3-9-IV, A.R. 7-2-4-I, A.R. 8-6-1-I and II, and A.R. 10-2-2-XXXIX) (Rules 7-2-4-a and b).
b. A kick becomes dead by rule behind the defending team抯 goal line and the attacking team is responsible for the ball being there (Exception: Rule 8-4-2-b Unsuccessful field goal) (A.R. 6-3-4-IV).

I hope this answers helps.

Vic Winnek
NCAA Football Official