I have always thought that when a member of the punting team fielded the ball and touched down inbounds that the ball was dead at that spot. How can a player carry a dead ball into the endzone for a touchback? Am I incorrect?

Rick

Especially when the whistle blows.

Only to the dolphins... Never fails. Week in and week out.

I've had to put the game on mute. I can't stand hearing DD. I hope he falls head first down an escalator at halftime.

You have to down the ball, a complete stop, in the field of play.

If that is the case, then that was a monumentally stupid play. I don't blame Carpenter at all for being incensed, contrary to what the talking head said.

Rick

It was Fields, not Carpenter, but he had every right to be pissed, he had a great punt and it was a bone head play.

Regarding DD he is an idiot who needs to shut his month, I think he likes to hear himself talk. Yesterday he was talking like the audience had never watch a game and didn't know anything about the football. These annoucers need to understand that 99% of the people watching are fans and probably know more about the team and the players and the game then they do.

Also, on that fleaflicker to Moss he was screaming for PI which I was also shocked wasn't called, but then on the 4th and 1 throw to Crabtree where PI was called on the fins when it was very questionable if it was, he didn't have the balls to say that it was a BS call.

I think it's a stupid rule because the kicking team can't pick up the ball and run it to the receiving team's 1-yard line and down it there. I'm guessing they can't roll the ball or push it or otherwise move it without carrying it to gain yardage on the kick. Why not just make it down where the kicking team gains possession of it and call it done.

My understanding of the rule is 'you can't advance the ball further as the kicking team for any productive purpose...but if you choose to and get to the EZ, then the ball comes out to the 20'

Of course all of this is moot if he simply plays smarter.

The ball is not 'dead' just because the licking team touches it. the returning team still has the opportunity to take advantage of a mistake by the kicking team.

For example the returner gets out of the way...the ball is likely going to bounce inside the 5 and go into the endzone and multiple member of the kicking team attempt to prevent the touchback...and one of them plays the ball off the bounce, jumps up and bats the ball away from the endzone. An inexperienced player might batt the ball too far away...beyond the coverage and towards the returner...who could elect to grab it and go.

Or it could be batted down and into the legs of a member of the kicking team who accidentally kicks it and it hits someone and bounces back away from the endzone.

999 times out of 1,000 this isn't going to happen.....but then again...999 times out of 1,000 the kicking team isn't going to get it at the 4 and tip toe to the endzone.

but yeah...you have to possess it and stop to make it dead.

That is a valid question. If he stopped at the 1, they would not have spotted it there....so why does it advance once possessed?

Should be where possession occurs. Then again...teams might try to dribble...juggle to the 1. So the rules are there for some scenario that actually could happen.

good points on this. The guy got the ball and kinda tapped his toes like I am down here.

i like the idea of just rolling it all the way back to the 1 !!!! that could be brilliant