CTB Punt Return

[Skerz4Life50]

@alt f4 is there still a “momentum” rule in football when it comes to backwards momentum into the end zone?

I believe this is (or was) the NFL rule and not sure how or if it pertains to college:

If a defensive player, in the field of play, intercepts a pass or catches or recovers a fumble, backward pass, scrimmage kick, free kick, or fair catch kick, and his original momentum carries him into his end zone where the ball is declared dead in his team’s possession. The ball belongs to the defensive team at the spot where the player’s foot or other body part touched the ground to establish possession.

Just curious on that punt return, it seems like his momentum carried him into the end zone, and then prior to throwing the ball, he was tackled with his knee down on the goal line. Is there a reason the ball wasn’t marked at like the 1/2 yard line where he “gained possession”?

Regardless is was incredibly dumb to field the punt, just wasn’t sure how that ruling works.

*Edit to include video.

 

[Jim14510]

@alt f4 is there still a “momentum” rule in football when it comes to backwards momentum into the end zone?

I believe this is (or was) the NFL rule and not sure how or if it pertains to college:

If a defensive player, in the field of play, intercepts a pass or catches or recovers a fumble, backward pass, scrimmage kick, free kick, or fair catch kick, and his original momentum carries him into his end zone where the ball is declared dead in his team’s possession. The ball belongs to the defensive team at the spot where the player’s foot or other body part touched the ground to establish possession.

Just curious on that punt return, it seems like his momentum carried him into the end zone, and then prior to throwing the ball, he was tackled with his knee down on the goal line. Is there a reason the ball wasn’t marked at like the 1/2 yard line where he “gained possession”?

Regardless is was incredibly dumb to field the punt, just wasn’t sure how that ruling works.

Was wondering this too. Just kept coming back to how stupid it was in the first place.

To expand on the bitching about the refs...that pass interference call on Martin seemed like bullshit too.

 

[jaihawk]

Not to mention the lack of holding calls on Illinois. There was one series where they were blatant on 3 straight plays and nothing was called. It is just insane how everyone else gets away with holding be we can't.

 

[Daddy]

If he's going to try to catch that, why the fuck didn't he call for a fair catch? Did he muff the punt? Can't remember exactly.

But I completely agree with you OP. Momentum carried him into the endzone and was downed in the endzone..should have been a touchback.

 

[Skerz4Life50]

Was wondering this too. Just kept coming back to how stupid it was in the first place.

To expand on the bitching about the refs...that pass interference call on Martin seemed like bullshit too.

Ha wasn’t meaning to bitch about the refs, more to just understand the rule or if it is even a rule any longer. I have actually resigned to botching about refs during Husker games anymore because as a team we hurt ourselves way more than a few of these penalties or calls with our shitty execution, turnovers, play calling, etc.

 

[Jim14510]

Ha wasn’t meaning to bitch about the refs, more to just understand the rule or if it is even a rule any longer. I have actually resigned to botching about refs during Husker games anymore because as a team we hurt ourselves way more than a few of these penalties or calls with our shitty execution, turnovers, play calling, etc.

I don't know either. I think you're right but was also questioning whether that applied especially when they reviewed it.

 

[alt f4]

This is a little tough to explain, but I'll try not to confuse.

There is a momentum rule in college which applies if the players original momentum carries him into the end zone and ball becomes dead in endzone. The ball is returned to where he gained possession.

Now if there is an accepted penalty or a fumble it complicates this rule.

If the penalty occurred in endzone, like in this case illegal forward pass, it's a safety.

 

[Jim14510]

This is a little tough to explain, but I'll try not to confuse.

There is a momentum rule in college which applies if the players original momentum carries him into the end zone and ball becomes dead in endzone. The ball is returned to where he gained possession.

Now if there is an accepted penalty or a fumble it complicates this rule.

If the penalty occurred in endzone, like in this case illegal forward pass, it's a safety.

Yeah but he was down before the illegal forward pass.

 

[alt f4]

Yeah but he was down before the illegal forward pass.

From the angles I saw his knee was not down.

I also spoke to someone who knows the replay official and he said he was not down as well from their angles.

 

[Poor_and_Stupid]

While watching this I was really hoping the nightmare would end and I would wake up in my bed.

 

[Jim14510]

From the angles I saw his knee was not down.

I also spoke to someone who knows the replay official and he said he was not down as well from their angles.

Ah. I thought they said he was down after replay.

 

[Cash68847]

Ah. I thought they said he was down after replay.

He looked down to me on the frontal replay. I was okay with the safety because of his pure stupidity.

 

[RedDeanRedemption]

If he doesn't throw it out of the endzone it likely isn't a safety. Compounded a retarded decision with an even more retarded decision

 

[vailhusker]

About 30 seconds in looks like he was down before the pass.

 

[Skerz4Life50]

About 30 seconds in looks like he was down before the pass.

Yeah this is a much better view, and the other they showed on air right before going to commercial clearly showed him down.

Sorry, @alt f4 this is a much better angle and like @vailhusker said, go to around the 30 second mark.

 

[Jim14510]

About 30 seconds in looks like he was down before the pass.

Looks down to me.

 

[Skerz4Life50]

Looks down to me.

I took a screenshot and posted it just above. I think he is clearly down as well. That’s why I was really confused by the rule, but it was never brought up during the broadcast or from Frost or any other coaches.

Again, really probably wouldn’t have mattered and still an idiotic play, but would have been nice to not spot them 2 points and give them the ball right back.

 

[Fargo Husker]

Whether it was a safety or not by the letter of the rules doesn’t matter, he deserved to get a safety because of making such a colossally stupid decision.

 

[CybrrMonky71]

The gal official was terrible
But that whole crew was bad as well
The fact this got reviewed & they still got it wrong bc they were caught up in the moment of not wanting to “bail Nebraska out of being stupid”, just makes u scratch ur head more about the competency of Big10 officiating or makes u wonder if there is bias against us

 

[alt f4]

Yeah this is a much better view, and the other they showed on air right before going to commercial clearly showed him down.

Sorry, @alt f4 this is a much better angle and like @vailhusker said, go to around the 30 second mark.

View attachment 4620

Thanks, this angle he's clearly down in possession of the ball, but it doesn't look like it's out of the endzone.

Next part, just spit balling, but they could have said he entered the endzone on his own and at this point is down, but ball didn't leave endzone.

I'll piece it back together tomorrow after my bottle of wine wears off.

I didn't watch the game live so I just saw clips here and there.