Kickoffs and Touchbacks Question

yes as long as he doesnt go out past the goalline.

What if he runs around the endzone and gets pushed out of the back by the kicking team? Still a touchback?

It's a dunb question, but one that was nagging me. Thanks.

He can start a legit return and get tackled in the end zone and it still be a touchback so long as he doesn't cross the end line

I'm going to get all of my dumb questions out there... Once a punt hits the ground, can there be an interference call on the punt returner? Lets imagine the punt takes a couple of bounces when the returner decides to make the move to field it. Can a player on the punting team block his path to the ball by laying him out?

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Once a punt hits the ground, can there be an interference call on the punt returner?

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did he call for a fair catch?

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Once a punt hits the ground, can there be an interference call on the punt returner?

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No

It doesn't matter if he gives a valid or invalid or no fair catch signal. If the ball hits the ground, he loses protection and anyone can recover the ball. If the kicking team touches it first, it's illegal touching by the kicking team.

Here's where it gets good. If the kicking team touches the ball first and then the receiving team recovers and starts running with the ball....the runner is hit, fumbles, and the kicking team recovers the ball. The receiving team has the right to maintain possession at the spot of illegal touching. It gets more complicated if fouls occur.


BTW, your questions aren't dumb. The kicking game has it's own set of rules within the rules of the game.

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Since moving kickoffs to the 35

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I thought touchbacks are placed on the 25 not 35?

Ball hitting the ground makes a FC invalid.

Saw it a few weeks ago watching Tulane, fair catch called, ball bounces high, dude gets killed catching the ball. No call cause hitting the ground negated the FC call.