During the third quarter of the Chargers/Steelers AFC divisional playoff game today, the Steelers picked up a loose ball and took it into the endzone for an apparent touchdown. Raise your hand if you knew it was coming back, despite the lack of a penalty. Mine is raised. The rule is uniform across all levels of football.
On the play, Eric Weddle was engaged in a block on a punt to the Chargers. The punt ended up being a bit short of Chargers' returner, Darren Sproles. The football ended up hitting Weddle on the head. The Steelers then scooped up the ball, and ran it home.
What happened is defined as a muff. When a player touches the ball -- but does not gain possession -- he is said to have muffed the football. By rule, a muff can be recovered by the opposing team, but not advanced. This could happen in many different ways. Say the returner just drops the ball. That's a muff, and cannot be advanced. The entire key to the equation is possession. If the returner catches the ball and take two steps with it before fumbling, the return team can most certainly advance the football.
This situation could happen on a kickoff as well. If the ball hits off a member of the receiving team, the kicking team cannot advance the recovered football. If the receiving team gains possession, and then fumbles, it's perfectly legal to advance it.
Just remember the question, on punts and kickoffs: Did he possess the ball?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-11-2009 @ 10:40PM
dlsf8607 said...
Unless the rule has changed, a kickoff is a live ball regardless of whether possession has been gained or not.
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1-11-2009 @ 10:45PM
Matt Snyder said...
Yes, but the kicking team can not advance the ball after they recover it unless the receiving team had gained possession.
1-11-2009 @ 11:13PM
Bruce said...
Why was this rule created? The kicking team have too much of an advantage?
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1-11-2009 @ 11:26PM
Matt Snyder said...
I have absolutely no idea.
1-11-2009 @ 11:47PM
Bruce said...
Found a semi-answer in Jerry Markbreit's "Ask the Ref" column:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/askthereferee/cs-041118jerrymarkbreitsanswers,0,6712482.story
"The people who wrote the rules of the game thought it was unfair to allow the kickers to recover a ball and advance it, unless the receiving team possessed it first."
I guess that makes some sense.
BTW, do you ever compare your answers to Jerry's?
Will miss Zebra Report after the Super Bowl!
Bruce
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1-12-2009 @ 10:27AM
John said...
Its the same reason why you have to kick the ball 10 yards on an onside kick. Its so the kicking team doesn't have an unfair advantage.
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1-13-2009 @ 7:11AM
JOHN said...
Years ago, had a kick-off cross the end-zone line, untouched by any player on our team (the deep returners thought it would be a touchback), and was recovered in the end-zone and ruled a touchdown for the kicking team. Has this rule changed? I believe it is still a live ball after it goes 10 yards...hence an on side kick can be recovered without the receiving team ever having obtained possession. I think Mr. Matt Snyder should check the ruling on kick-offs.
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1-12-2009 @ 2:34PM
Matt Snyder said...
I'll check the rules when you can comprehend what I write.
1. I never said they couldn't recover the ball. They most certainly can. Yes, if they recover a muff in the end-zone, it's a touchdown.
2. I'm talking about advancement. Meaning, if the ball just drops down into the field of play on a kickoff, and the kicking team recovers -- they may not pick up the ball and run with it. They will get the ball right where they recovered it.
There's a difference between recovery and advancement.
This rule has never changed.
1-12-2009 @ 3:08PM
Stan said...
The "muffed ball" rule was created, by the NCAA, in 1929. At that time neither a backward pass or kick could be advanced. Over the years, the backward pass aspect of the rule was amended to permit advancement.
Source: Anatomy of a game by David M. Nelson
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1-12-2009 @ 6:46PM
ed said...
in super bowl XXX a cowboy was "blocked" into a punt, and after the steelers recovered this "muffed punt" the ref's said that a player cannot be blocked into a punt to cause a fumble.
is this rule different? has that been changed? i still can hear cowher's voice now as he exlaims, "that's not a rule!" but i have seen this happen several times this year, including yesterday's game...
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