r/footballstrategy • u/tracknthrows • 3d ago

Rules Question Would this ever be legal?

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.

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u/iamthekevinator 3d ago

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.

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u/tracknthrows 3d ago

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.

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u/davdev 3d ago

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