Field goal help.

[GilliamRatings]

The tailback for Podunk high takes a toss from the QB and he suddenly drop kicks the ball. (I suppose all of this could happen with a straight place kick, but I like to have drop kicks in my imaginary scenarios)

1) The kick hits one of his teammates who is behind the line of scrimmage in the head and then goes through the uprights.

2) The kick hits one of his teammates who is beyond the line of scrimmage (a player who would legally be allowed down field on a scrimmage kick) in the head and then goes through the uprights.

I'm assuming that in case 1, this would score a field goal since the touching was unintentional and behind the line of scrimmage.

In case two, however, wouldn't the spot where the ball hit the player be a spot of first touching and the defense could choose to take the ball there instead of choosing the result of the play (which was a field goal)?

3) What if a player were behind the line of scrimmage and intentionally batted his own player's kick over the upright? (I know, let's just say it was a short field goal attempt and it went almost straight up in the air and a lineman jumped up and batted through the uprights)? I would think this would be a penalty for illegally batting the ball, otherwise, the kick would not be dead since it had not been possessed, so otherwise I would think it would be a field goal.

4) Team A is losing the state championship game by 2 points and they get an untimed down due to a penalty. They line up for a place kick, but it is blocked. The kicker finds the blocked kick bounced right back into his hands and all the rushers have passed by him. He then drop kicks it for the field goal.

This post was edited on 12/9 7:22 AM by GilliamRatings

 

[White hat]

Matt, you should have been an official. These are the kinds of things we dream up and discuss at post-game meetings near beverages.

1. Score the FG. That touching is ignored.

2. If it's in the expanded neutral zone, it's ignored. The expanded neutral zone is two yards and in effect to allow normal line play on low scrimmage kicks, but it does not expand into the endzone. So if the ball was snapped at the 6 inch line and it went off a OL helmet 6 inches past the goal line, technically the ball is dead.

Aside: The expanded neutral zone is a strange thing that causes confusion for everyone, it seems. The thing can exist for one player and not for the player right next to him. It applies to low scrimmage kicks [punts and field goals are both scrimmage kicks and treated the same by the rules in regards to touching and possession]. A punt that's a low line-drive can hit an OL up to 2 yards beyond the line and it's nothing. It can be blocked by a DL and it's nothing. But if the punt is short -- goes up and comes back down -- then there is no expanded NZ. Only the line of scrimmage matters. If it's a foot past the line of scrimmage and touches an OL it's first touching and if it touches a DL it will be first down to whichever team ends up with it.

3. You're right: Illegal bat.

4. If he gathers the ball and is able to make a real drop kick, it counts. A punter can pick up a blocked punt and punt again if he wants.