Expert: Thom Brooks - 11/20/2008

Question
QUESTION: Thom
I think the reason a fan asked this question "If a player bats the ball out of bounds, does his team get or retain possession? What happens on a kick off and the receiving player bats the ball out of bounds. Whose possession?" was because at the ND/Navy game Navy was attempting an on sides kick, as the ball approached an ND player he batted it out of bounds. I thought it was a smart move but the refs had Navy kick the ball over and they then had a successful on sides kick? I looked through the rules on the link you gave but could not find anything. Can you possibly clarify?

ANSWER: Pat, hello!

I have written another official to get an opinion and will get back to you if he saw the play and can comment.

My interpretation is that if the R team did not touch the ball, and if the K team touched it first, then the ball should be the option of Navy getting to kick again or taking the ball at the point where the Irish player batted it out of bounds.  

I worked an age 10 playoff game last night and had the typical "missed calls" on every play, if you listen to the parents or the coaches.........  It seems the officials in the NFL, NCAA and high school are spotlighted on missing calls this year.  It's become a point of attention that has drifted throughout the game.  I think the officials are generally on target but have seen some missed calls.
But then, I think about when I'm on the field how fast the action is.
It's incredible to try to watch the entire box around the ball.  Officials are trained to watch the box, not the ball, unless it is at the time of the catch.  

Last night, a coach thought I missed a face mask on his runner in the middle of the field, who fumbled and lost the ball.  The runner was halfway to the ground when the ball came loose but the defender's hand brushed across his helmet.  The hand did not go inside the hole, nor did it twist the head.  It was not a penalty.  The coach saw it differently but I saw the entire play.  Officials do not call plays unless they see the entire sequence.  I would hope the Officials at the Navy-ND game saw the entire play and made the correct call!

I love this stuff and hope the mystery can be resolved!

Take care and thanks for writing!

Thom Brooks







---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thom
 The way it looked to me was that ND player was the only one to touch it or at least first as he batted it out of bounds.And Navy definitely would have wanted to take the ball and not kick over. Maybe no one had possession so it was kicked over ? Is that possible? is it the last person that touches it on a kickoff gets possession?

Answer
Pat, hello!

I wish I could have seen the play but it could have been that the ND player batted the ball forward instead which is a penalty.  If they marked any yards off and had Navy kick again, I would think it was something like that or the ND was guilty of another foul.

Take care,

Thom Brooks