Fumbled Snap

[barny75070]

Ok...feel like we are getting all kids of new ones this season!!

QB is lined up under center- ball is snapped, and is a bad center/QB exchange- ball hits QB's foot and bounces forward- he recovers the ball a foot past the original line of scrimmage....Call last night was illegal advance, 5 yards penalty and loss of down (we were on our own 6 yard line, and the ball was placed at the 1 rather than half the distance)...was this the right call?

 

[cowman52]

Was not a clear exchange in my mind, I take it you were on the 6 going out, should have been 1/2 the distance, loss of down.

 

[Legacy Zebra]

Not so fast cowman, look at sixman exception 11 and AR IX. If all the player does is fall on a muffed snap, it is loss of down at the previous spot, no yardage penalty.

"11. If the snap is muffed and a Team A player catches or recovers the ball beyond the neutral zone, he may not advance it. PENALTY: Loss of down (illegal procedure) from previous spot (S19 & S9), 5 yards from the previous spot is also assessed if the Team A player advances the ball. If a Team A player catches or recovers the muffed snap behind the neutral zone, he may legally advance it only after a legal exchange."

"A10 muffs the snap from A50. The ball rolls a few yards beyond the neutral zone where A6 (1) picks up the ball and advances; or (2) falls on the ball for the recovery. RULING: (1) Illegal, 5 yards previous spot plus loss of down. Penalty marker is dropped, play continues. (2) Legal recovery, no foul, the ball is returned to the line of scrimmage, loss of down. A legal exchange has not been made prior to advancement of the ball beyond the line of scrimmage."