Is this still a rule in the NFL?
- Bob78164
- Bored Moderator
- Posts: 21696
- Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:02 pm
- Location: By the phone
Is this still a rule in the NFL?
My son surprised me today. He showed me clips from NFL kickoffs where a player on the receiving team deliberately steps out of bounds and then reaches back in bounds to field a ball that might otherwise have come to rest in the field of play. Apparently, by rule that makes the kickoff out of bounds so the receiving team gets the ball at the 40-yard line.
This seems wrong to me. In other contexts a player who deliberately steps out of bounds isn't allowed to be the first player who touches the ball. That seems like the appropriate rule for this context as well. I don't know how recent the clips my son showed me were, so I'm wondering whether anyone knows whether this trick still works. --Bob
This seems wrong to me. In other contexts a player who deliberately steps out of bounds isn't allowed to be the first player who touches the ball. That seems like the appropriate rule for this context as well. I don't know how recent the clips my son showed me were, so I'm wondering whether anyone knows whether this trick still works. --Bob
"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear." Thomas Jefferson
- silverscreenselect
- Posts: 23523
- Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 11:21 pm
- Contact:
Re: Is this still a rule in the NFL?
I don't know if it's a rule or not, but in order to come into play, the ball would already have to be very close to the sideline and, left to its own devices might well roll out of bounds. I have seen players field the ball inside the five yard line and wind up stepping out of bounds right away, putting their team in a big hole.
Check out our website: http://www.silverscreenvideos.com
- BackInTex
- Posts: 12890
- Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:43 pm
- Location: In Texas of course!
Re: Is this still a rule in the NFL?
From 2016- Packers take advantage of ridiculous NFL rule to magically make kickoff go out of bounds
The writer agrees
I did not know this. It is an obvious flaw in the rules.Because even though the ball was in bounds, Montgomery’s feet being out of bounds meant that, by rule, the kickoff itself is considered to have gone out of bounds. So instead of Packers ball on their own 3, the ball came out to the 40 like an ordinary kickoff that squibs out of bounds.
Brilliant.
The writer agrees
The rule is idiotic. If Montgomery had caught the ball in the end zone, brought it out for a return and put his feet in the exact same spot, the ball would have been downed right there. What difference does it make that the ball was floating freely with neither team having possession?
..what country can preserve it’s liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? let them take arms.
~~ Thomas Jefferson
War is where the government tells you who the bad guy is.
Revolution is when you decide that for yourself.
-- Benjamin Franklin (maybe)
~~ Thomas Jefferson
War is where the government tells you who the bad guy is.
Revolution is when you decide that for yourself.
-- Benjamin Franklin (maybe)
- littlebeast13
- Dumbass
- Posts: 31141
- Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 7:20 pm
- Location: Between the Sterilite and the Farberware
- Contact:
Re: Is this still a rule in the NFL?
If rules like this existed in baseball, it'd be nearly impossible to bunt for a single up either baseline....
lb13
lb13
Thursday comics! Squirrel pictures! The link to my CafePress store! All kinds of fun stuff!!!!
Visit my Evil Squirrel blog here: http://evilsquirrelsnest.com
Visit my Evil Squirrel blog here: http://evilsquirrelsnest.com
- triviawayne
- Posts: 678
- Joined: Fri Jul 10, 2015 6:38 am
Re: Is this still a rule in the NFL?
I'll start with I don't watch football.BackInTex wrote:From 2016- Packers take advantage of ridiculous NFL rule to magically make kickoff go out of bounds
I did not know this. It is an obvious flaw in the rules.Because even though the ball was in bounds, Montgomery’s feet being out of bounds meant that, by rule, the kickoff itself is considered to have gone out of bounds. So instead of Packers ball on their own 3, the ball came out to the 40 like an ordinary kickoff that squibs out of bounds.
Brilliant.
The writer agreesThe rule is idiotic. If Montgomery had caught the ball in the end zone, brought it out for a return and put his feet in the exact same spot, the ball would have been downed right there. What difference does it make that the ball was floating freely with neither team having possession?
wouldn't this rule be in place to keep kickers from trying to get the ball to go out of bounds inside the 10 yard line, effectively forcing a team to start deep in their own territory?
Is there something I'm missing?
- silverscreenselect
- Posts: 23523
- Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 11:21 pm
- Contact:
Re: Is this still a rule in the NFL?
That is the point of the general rule. However, if the ball stays in bounds, the kicking team can recover it even if the receiving team hasn't touched it. So, the receiving team has to try to field a ball in bounds that's bouncing around the five yard line, and that usually doesn't turn out well for them. However, under this rule, they touch the ball while they are out of bounds and the kick is considered to be out of bounds and the receiving team gets the ball at the 40triviawayne wrote: I'll start with I don't watch football.
wouldn't this rule be in place to keep kickers from trying to get the ball to go out of bounds inside the 10 yard line, effectively forcing a team to start deep in their own territory?
Is there something I'm missing?
Check out our website: http://www.silverscreenvideos.com
- Bob78164
- Bored Moderator
- Posts: 21696
- Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:02 pm
- Location: By the phone
Re: Is this still a rule in the NFL?
I think so. The point is that the receiving team can deliberately create a situation where a ball that wasn't heading out of bounds is deemed to be out of bounds, and the receiving team then gets the advantage of the resulting penalty. --Bobtriviawayne wrote:I'll start with I don't watch football.BackInTex wrote:From 2016- Packers take advantage of ridiculous NFL rule to magically make kickoff go out of bounds
I did not know this. It is an obvious flaw in the rules.Because even though the ball was in bounds, Montgomery’s feet being out of bounds meant that, by rule, the kickoff itself is considered to have gone out of bounds. So instead of Packers ball on their own 3, the ball came out to the 40 like an ordinary kickoff that squibs out of bounds.
Brilliant.
The writer agreesThe rule is idiotic. If Montgomery had caught the ball in the end zone, brought it out for a return and put his feet in the exact same spot, the ball would have been downed right there. What difference does it make that the ball was floating freely with neither team having possession?
wouldn't this rule be in place to keep kickers from trying to get the ball to go out of bounds inside the 10 yard line, effectively forcing a team to start deep in their own territory?
Is there something I'm missing?
"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear." Thomas Jefferson
- SpacemanSpiff
- Posts: 2487
- Joined: Wed Jul 08, 2009 1:33 pm
- Location: Richmond VA
- Contact:
Re: Is this still a rule in the NFL?
It's a rule. I've seen it done several times with at the college level over the years. Player with one foot out of bounds touching the kickoff = kickoff out of bounds.
In other words, kickers kicking the ball that close to the sideline do so at their own peril.
In other words, kickers kicking the ball that close to the sideline do so at their own peril.
Last edited by SpacemanSpiff on Mon Jun 03, 2019 10:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
"If you're dead, you don't have any freedoms at all." - Jason Isbell
- BackInTex
- Posts: 12890
- Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:43 pm
- Location: In Texas of course!
Re: Is this still a rule in the NFL?
The rule allows the receiving team to force a ball to be out of bounds (giving them the ball on the 40) that may have gone into the end zone for a touch back (giving the the ball on the 25) or a ball they would need to recover (say on the 5) and try to return.silverscreenselect wrote:That is the point of the general rule. However, if the ball stays in bounds, the kicking team can recover it even if the receiving team hasn't touched it. So, the receiving team has to try to field a ball in bounds that's bouncing around the five yard line, and that usually doesn't turn out well for them. However, under this rule, they touch the ball while they are out of bounds and the kick is considered to be out of bounds and the receiving team gets the ball at the 40triviawayne wrote: I'll start with I don't watch football.
wouldn't this rule be in place to keep kickers from trying to get the ball to go out of bounds inside the 10 yard line, effectively forcing a team to start deep in their own territory?
Is there something I'm missing?
Think about tennis. If a player is standing out of bounds when he/she strikes the ball, the other player's hit would be ruled as being out of bounds. That would be completely crazy.
The ball (on a kick) being in or out of bounds prior to possession should be based on where the ball is.
..what country can preserve it’s liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? let them take arms.
~~ Thomas Jefferson
War is where the government tells you who the bad guy is.
Revolution is when you decide that for yourself.
-- Benjamin Franklin (maybe)
~~ Thomas Jefferson
War is where the government tells you who the bad guy is.
Revolution is when you decide that for yourself.
-- Benjamin Franklin (maybe)
- jarnon
- Posts: 6378
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2007 9:52 pm
- Location: Merion, Pa.
Re: Is this still a rule in the NFL?
The rule is like that in basketball, leading to awesome feats of athleticism as a player leaps out of bounds and knocks the ball back onto the court before his feet hit the ground (or sometimes his butt hits the front row of seats). The difference is that catching the ball while out of bounds is bad in basketball.
Слава Україні!
עם ישראל חי
עם ישראל חי
- Bob78164
- Bored Moderator
- Posts: 21696
- Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:02 pm
- Location: By the phone
Re: Is this still a rule in the NFL?
A player who voluntarily goes out of bounds isn't allowed to be the first person to catch a pass -- doing so is a penalty on the receiving team. A similar rule for kickoffs would end this practice. Whether that's good or bad is a separate issue, which I'll leave for those who care more than I do about the NFL. --Bobjarnon wrote:The rule is like that in basketball, leading to awesome feats of athleticism as a player leaps out of bounds and knocks the ball back onto the court before his feet hit the ground (or sometimes his butt hits the front row of seats). The difference is that catching the ball while out of bounds is bad in basketball.
"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear." Thomas Jefferson