re: Question regarding Bowers' out of bounds spot. Can an official help explain the call?

The difference, I’m assuming, is a player had control of the ball while still in bounds as opposed to a punt.

quote:

---

What you’re saying is that a player could conceivably gain 4-5 yards while being out of bounds, with no liability to be hit, under penalty, so long as no part of his body has touched out of bounds.

A guy could take an angle to the side lines, basically long jump 15 feet, and gain 5 yards with no one being able to hit him.

---

The "no liability to be hit" part isn't entirely correct as it is at the discretion of the referee. But other than that, you are correct. Until a player is tackled in bounds or a part of the players body touches the ground out of bounds, he is considered "in bounds". The ball would be placed at the point of forward progress.

Read the rule again. The ball would be placed where it crosses the sideline even if the player doesn’t touch til he lands 5 yards later. He would have to be holding the ball in bounds while he jumps to get the yardage.

quote:

---

Conceivably, but what doesn’t make since is in punts out of bounds they mark it where the ball crosses the boundary in the air.. more or less.. it’s confusing. For sure.

---

B/c a punt is a loose ball and if any part of your body is OOB when you touch the ball, even if the ball is in the field of play, the ball is declared OOB and the play is over.

quote:

---

Item 3. Runner Inbounds. If the ball, while in possession of a player who is inbounds, is declared out of bounds because of touching anything that is out of bounds, the out-of-bounds spot is the yard line through the forward point of the ball at the instant of such touching.

This was the section of the rule that applies to Bowers last night.

Great find.

---

Not understanding how people are interpreting this?

My understanding is for number #3 to take effect the act that ends the play is either the ball touching out of bounds or someone, other than the player in possession of the ball, is out of bounds & touches it causing the play to end.

That did not occur here. Bowers went of bounds, so I’m not seeing how #2 does not rule here?

This whole talk of what would happen if someone ran all the way down the field with the ball in their hands over the out of bound plane the entire way is stupid. It would literally never happen. Rules are not written for hypotheticals that would never actually happen. I’m curious if someone is tip toeing the side the line with the ball over the out of bounds plane the entire time. If they got five or so yards before eventually going out of bounds where would the ball be? I can’t recall a meaningful play with that happening but surely it’s happened before.

Now that I look at it again, #2 is correct here.

But the officials did get it right. Brock was still inbounds and over the line to gain before he touched down.