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Punts beyond the LOS


crimsonace1

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Saw something come up in the Appalachian State-South Carolina State game last night - the SCS punter took off on 4th-and-19 as if it were a fake. He got about 15 yards beyond the LOS and *then* punted the ball, rugby-style, while on the run when he realized he wasn't going to make the first down. 

I found the NFL rule (any kick beyond the LOS is penalized 10 yards from spot of foul), but wasn't sure of the NFHS rule. I assume it's illegal in high school, too ... it was just something I'd never seen before (at least in American football ... you see all kinds of crazy stuff in Canada where teams will punt the ball back and forth to each other on the same play at the end of the game).

== 

As an aside, a kick that does not reach the LOS remains a live ball and thus can be kicked again, correct? Again, something I've not really seen in years (other than seeing a punter - who was also the fastest guy on the team - pick up his own blocked punt that went sideways, landed behind the LOS, scoop it up and run it in for a score, but never a double-punt). 

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23 minutes ago, crimsonace1 said:

Saw something come up in the Appalachian State-South Carolina State game last night - the SCS punter took off on 4th-and-19 as if it were a fake. He got about 15 yards beyond the LOS and *then* punted the ball, rugby-style, while on the run when he realized he wasn't going to make the first down. 

I found the NFL rule (any kick beyond the LOS is penalized 10 yards from spot of foul), but wasn't sure of the NFHS rule. I assume it's illegal in high school, too ... it was just something I'd never seen before (at least in American football ... you see all kinds of crazy stuff in Canada where teams will punt the ball back and forth to each other on the same play at the end of the game).

== 

As an aside, a kick that does not reach the LOS remains a live ball and thus can be kicked again, correct? Again, something I've not really seen in years (other than seeing a punter - who was also the fastest guy on the team - pick up his own blocked punt that went sideways, landed behind the LOS, scoop it up and run it in for a score, but never a double-punt). 

Yes, kicking the ball beyond the neutral zone is a foul in high school. The ball remains alive … and is treated as if it were a fumble, which can make for some interesting situations. The penalty for the foul is 10 yds., enforced under the ordinary rules for live ball fouls.

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26 minutes ago, crimsonace1 said:

As an aside, a kick that does not reach the LOS remains a live ball and thus can be kicked again, correct?

Yes, indeed. A kick that does not go beyond the neutral zone can be recovered by the kicking team, and they are free to kick, pass, or run the ball.

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42 minutes ago, Bobref said:

Yes, kicking the ball beyond the neutral zone is a foul in high school. The ball remains alive … and is treated as if it were a fumble, which can make for some interesting situations. The penalty for the foul is 10 yds., enforced under the ordinary rules for live ball fouls.

So if it's treated as a fumble, there's essentially no penalty for the receiving team to pick it up. 

In this scenario ... 

It's 4th-and-10. LOS is the -30. Team A punter runs, takes off and illegally punts from the -35. Team B fields the punt at its own 20 yard line and

a) scores a TD (it declines the penalty and the TD stands) 

b) runs the ball back to Team A's 20 yard line (again, it declines the penalty and takes possession at the +20)

c) Brown runs for 15 yards, but then fumbles and Adams recovers. Team B accepts the penalty, enforced from the spot of the kick and it's Team B ball 4th-and-15 from the -25. 

Is this a correct interpretation? 

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1 hour ago, crimsonace1 said:

So if it's treated as a fumble, there's essentially no penalty for the receiving team to pick it up. 

In this scenario ... 

It's 4th-and-10. LOS is the -30. Team A punter runs, takes off and illegally punts from the -35. Team B fields the punt at its own 20 yard line and

a) scores a TD (it declines the penalty and the TD stands) 

b) runs the ball back to Team A's 20 yard line (again, it declines the penalty and takes possession at the +20)

c) Brown runs for 15 yards, but then fumbles and Adams recovers. Team B accepts the penalty, enforced from the spot of the kick and it's Team B ball 4th-and-15 from the -25. 

Is this a correct interpretation? 

a) and b) are correct, but c) needs some work. You were using A and B and then switched to Brown and Adam, and you may have referred to Team B when you meant A. Try again, because I can envision a very interesting scenario.

 

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Let's try this here. 

It's 4th-and-10. LOS is the -30. Team A punter runs, takes off and illegally punts from the -35. Team B fields the punt at its own 20 yard line and its returner runs it for 15 yards, fumbling at his own 35. Team A recovers. 

Team B accepts the 10-yard penalty, enforced from Team A's 35 (the spot of the kick). It's Team A's ball, fourth-and-15 from its own 25. 

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On 9/2/2022 at 8:37 AM, crimsonace1 said:

 

As an aside, a kick that does not reach the LOS remains a live ball and thus can be kicked again, correct? Again, something I've not really seen in years (other than seeing a punter - who was also the fastest guy on the team - pick up his own blocked punt that went sideways, landed behind the LOS, scoop it up and run it in for a score, but never a double-punt). 

This actually happened in the LCC-RCHS game a few years back.  LCC was punting and an RCHS player blocked it, the LCC punter pucked it up and punted it again and it was blocked again BY THE SAME GUY WHO BLOCKED IT THE FIRST TIME.  RCHS recovered it in the end zone for a TD.

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12 minutes ago, foxbat said:

This actually happened in the LCC-RCHS game a few years back.  LCC was punting and an RCHS player blocked it, the LCC punter pucked it up and punted it again and it was blocked again BY THE SAME GUY WHO BLOCKED IT THE FIRST TIME.  RCHS recovered it in the end zone for a TD.

I remember that. Made quite a few highlight shows.

 

Edited by gonzoron
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