Expert: Vic Winnek - 11/28/2011

Question
I recently watched two college games where this was called both ways. The kicking team punts the ball and it lands on the one yard line and is going into the end zone.The ball has passed the plain of the goal, but has not made contact in the end zone A kicking team player leaps into the end zone from the one yard line and before he and the ball touch the ground, he pushes it to another kicking team player that is standing on the one yard line. Is this a touch back or is the ball down on the one?

Answer
Brad,

To answer your question the violation occurs when the hand touches the ball beyond the plane of the goalline, but the ball remains alive.  The ball becomes dean when recovered at the 1 yard line.  The Receiving team has the option of taking the ball where down (at the 1 yard line) or at spot of the touching.  By rule the spot of the touching in the endzone translates to a touchback.

If you watch the officials, they will place their bean bag at the spot of the illegal touching [if in the EZ you will likely have a touchback.  Watching the official's bean bag will tell you there the touching is deemed to have occurred.

The rule is pretty simple.  If a scrimmage kick untouched by Team B (the receiving team# after crossing the neutral zone is batted in Team B’s end zone by a player of Team A #the kicking team#, it is a violation for illegal touching #Rule 6-3-2#. The spot of the violation is Team B’s 20-yard line.  Rule 6-3-2 states: No inbounds player of the kicking team shall touch a scrimmage kick that has crossed the neutral zone before it touches an opponent. Such illegal touching is a violation that, when the ball becomes dead, gives the receiving team the privilege of taking the ball at the spot of the violation. [Because the spot of the violation is in the End Zone [i.e. when the player's touching was in or behind the plane of the goalline] this translates to the 20 yard line/touchback.

It is a touchback when: The ball becomes dead out of bounds behind a goal line, except from an
incomplete 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 kick becomes dead by rule behind the defending team’s goal line and the attacking team is responsible for the ball being there #Exception: Rule 8-4-2-b Unsuccessful field-goal attempt)

To officiate it correctly the officials must be in the correct position - on the Goal Line so he will have the correct angle and perspective.  If you compare plays and watch the officials, their positioning and the bean bags that they toss, you will be able to tell if they are officiating correctly or if they are making a mistake.  Being out of position can change the perspective completely.