kickoff play question

[spartan2005]

This came up on the last play in the Giles-Appo game tonight. Giles kicks off with squib kick and receiving team player reaches down and shovels the ball backwards towards another receiving team player and the ball goes into end zone and is recovered by kicking team. The white hat signaled touchback. It was the last play of the game and time expired so it had no bearing on the game but I thought it should have been a touchdown for kicking team since ball was touched by receiving team. It wasn't a muffed catch because the ball was on the ground when receiving team shoveled it backwards.

 

[White hat]

The white hat was correct. Because the kick was not possessed, it is still a kick. ALL kicks into the receiving ream's endzone are touchbacks. No exceptions.

The only way this could have been anything other than a touchback is if a member of the receiving team picked it up and tossed it back into the endzone. One he picked it up and possessed it, the kick ends and it would be the same as a fumble or backward pass, but as long as the ball wasn't possessed, it's still a kick and the same rules apply as when a deep kickoff flies into the endzone,

 

[lovethisgame78]

A question on the possession rule. Teams sets to receive kickoff but kickoff goes through returners hands and goes out of bounds at 5 yd line where they start their drive. Does the possession rule not apply here?

 

[lovethisgame78]

After thinking about it some more I guess its just by default because there would be no other option.

 

[White hat]

You're right, it has to start at the 5 because there is no foul for kicking out of bounds if the return team has touched the ball inbounds.

 

[Hampton Roads 6]

I was at the game, and it appeared that kick returner picked up ball then lateraled it back to a teammate who could not catch it cleanly and ball went into end zone where it was recovered by kicking team. I thought it should have been a touchdown.