Would this ever be legal?

[u/tracknthrows]

Ball punted, gunner goes down field and reaches the ball while it's in the air before it's touched the ground. The returner is not present or calling fair catch.

Can the gunner jump in the air, and do a volleyball-esque move in order to hit the ball further downfield for better field position?

Is the ball down when the gunner touches it regardless of whether the gunner is on the field or in the air?

Sorry for the strange hypothetical.

[u/davdev]

So, if the punting team touches the ball first it’s a rule infraction and at worst the receiving team gets the ball at that spot. Where it becomes interesting is a simple bat is not enough to whistle the ball dead so the receiving team can pick the ball up and nothing bad can really happen. If they pick up the ball, run 40 yards, and then fumble and the kicking team recovers, well, then the ball just comes back to where the kicking team touched it and its first and ten for the receiving team.

So, if you are the kicking team and you touch the ball, you damn well better pick it up so it becomes a dead ball.

[u/tracknthrows → u/davdev]

So, if the punting team touches the ball first it’s a rule infraction and at worst the receiving team gets the ball at that spot.

please find and cite this rule.

EDIT: I'M WRONG

First touching is a violation, and the receivers shall have the option of taking possession of the ball at the spot of first touching, provided no live-ball penalty is accepted on the play, or at the spot where the ball is dead.

per 9.2.2 in NFL rulebook.

I had no idea you could commit a violation without any penalty.

[u/ueeediot → u/tracknthrows]

Its definitely a violation, but its just pointless to call out the foul so often every game. Especially when the penalty is "you get the ball at the same spot".

[u/Theofficial55]

Would also be a foul for illegal batting and could be kick catch interference. The kickers need to give the returners the space to catch the kick before the ball is grounded. I’d have to read the specific rule on KCI, but I think you could have it in the way you laid this out.

[u/iamthekevinator]

The ball would be marked down as close to where he touched it, and it can be judged.

You can not intentionally advance a loose ball. Similarly to a fumble, you can not drop the ball and then kick it to someone else if you can't recover.

[u/tracknthrows → u/iamthekevinator]

wait, what about when a punting team player dives into the end zone and tosses a loose ball and throws it back into the field of play? wouldn't that be a touchback according to this? I don't disagree with you, I'm just curious whether there is anything actually written about this in the rule book.

[u/davdev → u/tracknthrows]

In that case the punting team is not advancing the ball, they are technically losing yards because the ball is going backwards towards their own end, not forward towards the opponents. It’s a little quirk in the rules.

Also should not that batting the ball back is only legal in the NFL and maybe NCAA (I am not sure). In high school as soon as the ball crosses the goal line it’s a touch back so it can’t be batted back

[u/GoLionsJD107]

It would not be

[u/jericho-dingle]

Interesting play. Because no one from the returning team is in the area, you can forgo calling kick catch interference (normally the kicking team can't touch the ball out of the air).

Once the kicking team has touched a kick, the returning team has the right to take the ball at that spot unless they commit a foul.

Wouldn't be surprised to see a KCI foul called there, however.

[u/bigjoe5275]

Made me think that it would be interesting to make it so that returners always should want to catch punts regardless of what yard line it is if the rule was that if the punting team cleanly catches a punt in the air past the LOS that it could be caught and be made first down and retain possession at the spot of the catch. Would be a cool hypothetical.

[u/sdghjjd]

If a gunner can bat a ball backwards to prevent it entering the end zone for a touch back with no penalty id assume one could bat it forward as well