re: Would it have been "legal" if OB "blocked" the kick in end zone?

At least someone got the Kenny Irons reference.

It is legal and should be done for any try over 45 yards I think. I've been saying it for years and pointed out a few times when a team barely made a 55+ yard FG.

Ojell Beckham

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For O'Dell?

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I like it because it sounds like Old Dirty Bastard

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How would it not be the same as blocking at the line of scrimmage?

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don't know if it's legal or not but this made me think of basketball

you can block a shot (line of scrimmage) but can't goal tend

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It's "OB" or "OBJ" if anything.

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Should be OB or OBjr. Junior is not his last name.

It is illegal to swat at a ball after it reaches its apex.

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It is illegal to swat at a ball after it reaches its apex.

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Link?

It is illegal to block a kick near the uprights unless you snatch it out of the air cleanly. Here's the rule:

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Mystery solved: doing this would be illegal, except in the rare instance where the defender catches the ball cleanly. Thanks to commenter Chris (not me) for pointing this out. The rules can be found on pages 243-44 here. The applicable rules are as follows. Note the penalties range from a safety against the defending team (or upholding of a touchdown if the kicking team recovers it in the end zone) to simply a first down and yardage for the offense. Probably too risky. Note also these rules don’t seem to apply if the kick falls short of the crossbars without interference — i.e. the Antonio Cromartie stuff.
I. Team A attempts a field goal from Team B’s 30-yard line. A Team B player in the end zone leaps above the crossbar and bats the ball in flight. The ball goes out of bounds in the end zone.
RULING: Foul for batting the ball in the end zone. During regulation play, postscrimmage kick enforcement gives a safety by penalty. In extra periods, enforcement of the 15-yard penalty is at the previous spot
and Team A retains possession.
II. Team A attempts a field goal from Team B’s 30-yard line. A Team B player in the end zone leaps above the crossbar and bats the ball in flight. The ball goes into the end zone and is recovered by Team A.
RULING: Foul for batting the ball in the end zone. The result of the play is a touchdown.
III. Team A attempts a field goal from Team B’s 30-yard line. A Team B player in the end zone leaps above the crossbar and bats the ball in flight. The ball goes into the end zone and is recovered by Team B.
RULING: Foul for batting the ball in the end zone. The result of the play is a touchback, safety.
IV. Team A attempts a field goal from Team B’s 30-yard line. A Team B player in the end zone leaps above the crossbar and bats the ball in flight. The ball goes into the field of play.
RULING: Foul for batting the ball in the end zone. During regulation play, postscrimmage kick enforcement gives a safety by penalty. The ball remains alive, and Team A may elect the result of the play. If Team A recovers, does not score and accepts the penalty, or if the play occurs in an extra period, enforcement is at the previous spot.
…
VII. Team A attempts a field goal, and B23, in the end zone, goes above the crossbar and catches the ball.
RULING: Legal play.
Update 2: But, what if you were up by three and could block the field goal attempt into the end zone and recover it yourself for a safety? Might be worth it still, no? (The game cannot end on a penalty, but then you’d just have to defend a free kick return rather than a field goal attempt.)

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It is illegal to swat at a ball after it reaches its apex.

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Rule 9, Section 4, Article 1b, reads as follows:

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Any player may block a scrimmage kick in the field of play or the end zone.

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The word "apex" is not in the NCAA rulebook.

However, in a seeming contradiction to the above rule that a player may block a scrimmage kick in the field of play or the end zone:

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SECTION 4. Batting and Kicking

Batting a Loose Ball—ARTICLE 1

Approved Ruling 9-4-1

I. Team A attempts a field goal from Team B’s 30-yard line. A Team B
player in the end zone leaps above the crossbar and bats the ball in flight.
The ball goes into the end zone and is recovered by Team A. RULING:
Foul for batting the ball in the end zone. The result of the play is a
touchdown.

II. Team A attempts a field goal from Team B’s 30-yard line. A Team B
player in the end zone leaps above the crossbar and bats the ball in flight.
The ball goes into the end zone and is recovered by Team B. RULING:
Foul for batting the ball in the end zone. The result of the play is a
touchback, safety.

III. Team A attempts a field goal from Team B’s 30-yard line. A Team B
player in the end zone leaps above the crossbar and bats the ball in flight.
The ball goes into the field of play. RULING: Foul for batting the ball in
the end zone. During regulation play, postscrimmage kick enforcement
gives a safety by penalty. The ball remains alive, and Team A may elect
the result of the play. If Team A recovers, does not score and accepts the
penalty, or if the play occurs in an extra period, enforcement is at the
previous spot.

...

VI. Team A attempts a field goal, and B23, in the end zone, goes above the
crossbar and catches the ball. RULING: Legal play.

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LINK

Hopefully someone has communicated this rule to OBJ, as I'm not sure he understood he must catch the ball, not merely bat it away, based on the excerpt I saw of his statement (and maybe the full statement makes it clear.)

ETA: I'm leaving mine up because mine is from the current rulebook.

ETA: Okay, CCC's is current, too. But mine provides link.

This should be Speedy Noils role on long FGs