Quote:
Originally Posted by AnonEmouse
They do indeed; if the ball is carried into or rolls into the end zone after being touched by the punting team it's a TB. Had he stopped anywhere before crossing the line it would have been Tampa Bay ball on the 5. His ignorance cost 15 yards.
"In the NFL, a punted ball does not have to enter the end zone for a touchback to occur, though this is often the case. A player on the punting team who attempts to down the ball before it crosses the plane of the goal line must keep both feet outside the goal line."
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There you go, took me some time because NFL and NCAA/IFAF rule books are structured differently, but the play is over when the ball is recovered by a member of the kicking team:
"The game clock operator shall
stop the game clock (timeout) upon a signal by any official or upon the operator’s own positive knowledge:
b) when the
kicking team recovers a scrimmage kick beyond the line of scrimmage;"
And then:
"When the
kickers catch or recover a kick beyond the line of scrimmage, the ball is dead at the spot of recovery, even if a member of the receiving team has first touched the ball."