NFT Rule Question

[Ed Vette]

It's 4th down and the Offense punts. It's blocked by the Defense and travels a few yards, bounces and hits players on both sides. How far does the ball have to travel for the kicking team to recover the ball? Or would the rule be it only has to hit the receiving team once and the ball can be recovered?

[Uni]

If the ball stays behind the LOS, it's a free ball. Once the ball makes it past the LOS, all the normal punt return rules apply.  If it touches the defense first, it will go to the offense. If the offense touches it first, it's a free ball.

[Ed Vette]

If the ball stays behind the LOS, it's a free ball. Once the ball makes it past the LOS, all the normal punt return rules apply.  If it touches the defense first, it will go to the offense. If the offense touches it first, it's a free ball.

can you restate using kicking and receiving terms.

[Giant Jim]

can you restate using kicking and receiving terms.

Offense in the punting team. Defense is the receiving team.

[T200]

It's 4th down and the Offense punts. It's blocked by the Defense and travels a few yards, bounces and hits players on both sides. How far does the ball have to travel for the kicking team to recover the ball? Or would the rule be it only has to hit the receiving team once and the ball can be recovered?

Once the ball is blocked by the defense, it becomes a live ball. Travel distance and how ever many people touch it, whether offense (kicking team) or defense (receiving team), is inconsequential.

[Uni]

can you restate using kicking and receiving terms.

When you said the Offense punts, I was just going by your terminology 

BTW, it is a free ball if it's blocked and stays behind the LOS. However, recovery by the kicking team behind the LOS on fourth down would result in a turnover on downs. If the kicking team recovered the punt behind the LOS and made it past the first down marker, it would be a first down for the kicking team.

[Ed Vette]

The reason I asked was how they called the game last night on a blocked punt and seemed to have called it before a possession.

[T200]

The reason I asked was how they called the game last night on a blocked punt and seemed to have called it before a possession.

As far as I know, if the kicking team recovers the blocked punt, the kicking team still gets possession. I don't think the kicking team can retain possession of the blocked punt without the receiving team possessing it first and then fumbling it.

[Uni]

Once the ball is blocked by the defense, it becomes a live ball. Travel distance and how ever many people touch it, whether offense (kicking team) or defense (receiving team), is inconsequential.

This isn't accurate, punts are partially blocked but make it past the LOS all the time. Once that happens, they can only be downed by the kicking team and not recovered (unless the receiving team touches it past the LOS first, then it's a live ball).

[T200]

This isn't accurate, punts are partially blocked but make it past the LOS all the time. Once that happens, they can only be downed by the kicking team and not recovered (unless the receiving team touches it past the LOS first, then it's a live ball).

You're right. I stand corrected.

[Uni]

The reason I asked was how they called the game last night on a blocked punt and seemed to have called it before a possession.

I don't remember the play because (shocker) I nodded off multiple times throughout the game. For 10-15 minutes at times.

They jumped the gun only a little -- if the receiving team recovered the blocked punt and took possession then fumbled it before being down by contact, it's a live ball again and it would be first down if the kicking recovered it. But if there's a scrum and everyone is already on the ground there's no way this could happen.

So the only result would be downed by the receiving team or turnover on downs by the kicking team.

[Bob In PA]

As far as I know, if the kicking team recovers the blocked punt, the kicking team still gets possession. I don't think the kicking team can retain possession of the blocked punt without the receiving team possessing it first and then fumbling it.

Tim: Applying the punter's foot to the ball is automatic change of possession unless the punt is NOT on 4th down.

So, if the receiving team never touches or possesses a blocked punt before the play ends, it goes to them no matter what.

If the receiving team does POSSESS the ball, it's 1st down for whoever ends up with the ball when the play ends.

Bob

PS. IMO if you think about it that way, in that order, you can't make a mistake.  There are other rules if the receiving team touches a blocked punt or if the punt is not on 4th down. THOSE CASES ares when we start to worry about WHERE the receiving team touched the ball after it was blocked.

[Bob In PA]

I changed my answer to cover every possible situation. Bob

[Ed Vette]

I don't remember the play because (shocker) I nodded off multiple times throughout the game. For 10-15 minutes at times.

They jumped the gun only a little -- if the receiving team recovered the blocked punt and took possession then fumbled it before being down by contact, it's a live ball again and it would be first down if the kicking recovered it. But if there's a scrum and everyone is already on the ground there's no way this could happen.

So the only result would be downed by the receiving team or turnover on downs by the kicking team.

So it's different than a normal punt where if it touches the receiving team, the kicking team can recover. I thought last night that the ball wasn't recovered so I guess the receiving team must have downed it and they didn't show it. Or I got it mixed up.

[Uni]

So it's different than a normal punt where if it touches the receiving team, the kicking team can recover. I thought last night that the ball wasn't recovered so I guess the receiving team must have downed it and they didn't show it. Or I got it mixed up.

If the punt goes past the line of scrimmage, all punt possession rules apply even though technically the receiving team touched it first when they partially blocked it. If it stays behind the line of scrimmage, then it's a free ball.

I've never seen either scenarios happen, but if they punt on third down and the kicking team recovers a blocked punt behind the line of scrimmage, it's fourth down for the kicking team at the spot of the recovery and possession does not go to the receiving team. Or if the kicking team recovers the blocked punt and then runs it past the first down marker, it's first down for the kicking team.

Technically, it's only a blocked punt it is never gets past the line of scrimmage, otherwise it's just a punt.