Ball in endzone

[Coach_Phillips]

Heres one for yall...in back to back week we had a similiar situation.

Game 1: We kick-off opposing player goes to catch the ball on 2 yard line but drops the ball it falls into the endzone. Teammate of player recovers the ball scrambles around in the endzone before finally being tackled. Its called a touchback.

Game 2: JH kid intercepts the pass takes 2 steps to try and return the int before being tackled in the endzone but never left the endzone. They call safety! I asked why and the answer was he "attempted" to bring it out of the endzone.

In game 1 I thought since he was out of the endzone but fumbled into the endzone it should have been a safety. But also if the ref in Game 2 was correct then he attempted to bring it out which by his definition would mean a safety regardless.

In game 2 I believed it should have been a touchback regardless of how much he ran around in the endzone as long as he never stepped out.

What are the correct calls?

 

[Texman301]

#1...If he "muffed" the KO and the same thing happened it should be a touchback. If he obtained possession, then fumbled, it would be a safety.

#2...Touchback!

 

[fencewire]

Agree with texman,

#1 there is a fine line between a muff and a fumble, that line being possession. If the player at the 2 never had possession then it was a muff and the status of the ball was still a kick. Then it was correctly ruled a touchback.

#2 "attempting" doesn't matter. Touchback all day long.

 

[ZeroRisk]

The officials got the call right in #1 and messed it up in #2 according to the facts you've given us.

It's also important to note that since the ball was "muffed" into the end zone in #1, it's a live ball and the kicking team can recover it for a touchdown. Normally, if the ball goes into the end zone on a free kick without being touched, it's blown dead and automatically a touchback.