NCAA football

Question
How do the officials mark the ball after the ball carriers knee hits the ground and then the ball carrier leans forward with the ball.  Is the ball spotted where the ball carriers knee hit the ground or is it spotted where the ball touches the turf?

Answer
Kirk -

Thanks for the question!  A good one at that.  This is a very important aspect of football, as you obviously have gathered.  It often makes the difference between a 1st down and a punt.  IF you watched college ball this weekend, this exact topic was HUGE in several replays that won games for a few teams.

So where does a ball get spotted after a play.  In all levels, not just college, the ball is marked / spotted where THE BALL is when the player is ruled down.  SO, if the player's knee touches at the 30 yard line, but the ball is at the 29 yard line, the spot is at the 29.  

It only matters where the ball touches if it is the first thing to touch the ground on a player's body. For this example, let's say a player dives at the 30, then gets hit and flips. As he comes down, the first thing that touches the ground is the ball at the 30, then his body turns over and hits at the 29, the ball will be spotted at the 30.  This is actually the thing that makes the spot such a judgement call in so many situations.  The officials have to decide where on the field the ball is spotted without actually having exact knowledge on most plays.

Well, hopefully that clears up the issue for you, Kirk.  I usually give long, in-depth answers to questions, but in this case, I can't think of anything else for ya! A pretty straight forward one here. Please do not hesitate to write back if you have any other questions, or need anything further.  Best wishes and take care.

Coach Perl