by steve34 » Mon Sep 22, 2008 11:44 am
I'm not sure I found the right rule, but I have copy of the 2008 NFHS Football Rules. I"ll post this rule, and we can start to pick it apart with the exceptions that others will find.
Rule 8, Section 5, Article 2, Item B states:
"It is a safety when a player who is either int he field of play or in his end zone, forces a loose ball from the field of play to or across his goal line by his kick, pass, fumble, snap, or by a new force to a grounded loose ball with his muff or illegal kick (when the penalty is declined), provided the ball is declared dead there in his team's possession (including when the ball is declared dead with no player in possession), or the ball is out of bounds when it becomes dead on or behind their goal line. This does not apply to a legal forward pass which becomes incomplete."
From this aspect, it would appear the call of safety was correct. However, if you dig further into the rule book:
Rule 2, Section 24, Article 4 states:
"A scrimmage kick is any legal kick from in or behind the neutral zone. Either a place kick, punt, or drop kick may be used. For a place kick, the ball must be controlled on the ground or on a legal kicking tee by a teammate."
Rule 6, Section 2, states that the penalty for Illegal Kicking is 15 yards.
So, lets wrap this together the best we can. Any kick behind the neutral zone is a scrimmage kick, not a free kick, which would be kickoffs or kicks after safetys. A scrimmage kick must either be punted, dropped kicked, or kicked off the ground or tee while in control of another teammate. An infraction of this rule is a 15 yard penalty. It does not state the penalty is a loss of down. If the illegal kicking results in the ball leaving the kicking teams endzone out of bounds or beyond the back of the endzone, it is a safety, unless the receiving team accepts the penalty.
Under the circumstances described in the game, I would interpret that the kick by the Central Cass player was an illegal kick. He kicked the ball behind the line of scrimmage, but did not punt or drop kick the ball, or kick it off the ground or tee while controlled by a teammate. This kick does not qualify as a legal scrimmage kick. Since he kicked the ball out of the back of the endzone, Carrington has the choice to either:
A) Accept the safety
B) Accept a penalty for illegal kicking
If they accept the penalty for illegal kicking, according to these rules, the penalty should have been 15 yards (or half the distance to the goal) from the previous line of scrimmage, and a replay of 4th down. Under this scenario, Central Cass would have had another chance to punt the ball.
If the rule was a loss of down, then Carrington would definitely be in business. I looked through the book, and didn't find anywhere that it was a loss of down. But if someone does find it in their book or online, please post where you found it so I can see it.
The idea of kicking the ball out the back of the end zone was designed for a blocked punt. If the ball is kicked legally, and blocked, the kicker (or anyone) could kick the ball off the ground out the back for a safety, and that would be the only call. But, since the legal kick never took place, this strategy would not apply, IMHO.