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A rule I never understood and would like to see changed
Posted on 9/29/14 at 10:50 am
Posted on 9/29/14 at 10:50 am
If a punt hits the ground and hits a member of the receiving team, the ball is live and can be recovered by the kicking team. This circumstance is as if the return team had possession of the ball and fumbled.
I can understand if the punt returner muffed the punt but not if it bounces off a blocker's leg while his back is to the ball. How is that considered a "fumble" when there is no real possession change or an attempt to field the ball?
Hell, the punting team is rewarded by a bad punt if they are able to recover the ball. It might even be a strategy at a desperate time for the punter to just pooch the ball over the line of scrimmage and let the ball bounce around and possibly hit a member of the punt return team.
I think the ball should be dead at the point of contact with possession going to the punt return team.
I can understand if the punt returner muffed the punt but not if it bounces off a blocker's leg while his back is to the ball. How is that considered a "fumble" when there is no real possession change or an attempt to field the ball?
Hell, the punting team is rewarded by a bad punt if they are able to recover the ball. It might even be a strategy at a desperate time for the punter to just pooch the ball over the line of scrimmage and let the ball bounce around and possibly hit a member of the punt return team.
I think the ball should be dead at the point of contact with possession going to the punt return team.
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Posted on 9/29/14 at 10:52 am to gumbeaux
I ws really hoping this thread was about landing on players during a PAT attempt.
Posted on 9/29/14 at 10:52 am to parkjas2001
Posted on 9/29/14 at 10:53 am to gumbeaux
I think once the ball touches someone on the return team further than 10 yards downfield, then the kicking team should be able to pick it up and run with it. Same thing on a kickoff. It's retarded that you can recover an onside kick or a pooch kick, yet you can't advance it.
Posted on 9/29/14 at 10:53 am to parkjas2001
quote:
I ws really hoping this thread was about landing on players during a PAT attempt.
they changed that rule already
Posted on 9/29/14 at 10:53 am to gumbeaux
quote:
If a punt hits the ground and hits a member of the receiving team, the ball is live and can be recovered by the kicking team. This circumstance is as if the return team had possession of the ball and fumbled.
I can understand if the punt returner muffed the punt but not if it bounces off a blocker's leg while his back is to the ball. How is that considered a "fumble" when there is no real possession change or an attempt to field the ball?
What's the alternative? Ball is dead when it hits the ground?
quote:
I think the ball should be dead at the point of contact with possession going to the punt return team.
That's terrible... then you give the refs a judgment call on whether a guy was trying to field the punt or down it for the receiving team.
Posted on 9/29/14 at 10:54 am to parkjas2001
Nah that was just for one play.
Posted on 9/29/14 at 10:54 am to gumbeaux
quote:
the ball is live
It's kind of more like "half-live" because it can be recovered but can't be advanced.
Posted on 9/29/14 at 10:59 am to gumbeaux
How about the punter punt accurately and the coverage team stay alert and aware like they're supposed to in the game of football 
Posted on 9/29/14 at 11:00 am to gumbeaux
It's not considered a "fumble" in the same sense that a, well, an actual fumble is considered a fumble. Yeah, it's a live ball, but, since it was in play, it was a live ball before that, too. It just couldn't be advanced by the kicking team by any means other than the initial kick.
Punt rules are different from normal scrimmage rules for a good reason -- the circumstances of a punt aren't analogous to the circumstances of normal scrimmage. The receiving team is being asked to either field the ball or take their chances on the bounce. If they could stop the ball dead just by touching it, there would be no incentive to go for the fair catch (and potentially muff it.) And if you declare the ball dead as soon as it's touched, then how would a punt return work? It's a dead ball from the moment it's caught.
Punt rules are different from normal scrimmage rules for a good reason -- the circumstances of a punt aren't analogous to the circumstances of normal scrimmage. The receiving team is being asked to either field the ball or take their chances on the bounce. If they could stop the ball dead just by touching it, there would be no incentive to go for the fair catch (and potentially muff it.) And if you declare the ball dead as soon as it's touched, then how would a punt return work? It's a dead ball from the moment it's caught.
Posted on 9/29/14 at 11:01 am to gumbeaux
quote:
It might even be a strategy at a desperate time for the punter to just pooch the ball over the line of scrimmage and let the ball bounce around and possibly hit a member of the punt return team.
"Quick Kick" plays are often played out like this.
quote:
I think the ball should be dead at the point of contact with possession going to the punt return team.
So you want to reward the team that messed up?
Posted on 9/29/14 at 11:04 am to gumbeaux
if you apply that to punts then you would have to apply it to onside kicks...i like it the way it is
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