The Blocked Punt

[Rockport]

I heard a lot of confusion (and crying) about the blocked punt that somehow turned into a first down for the Broncos.

The refs made the right call.

Think of the blocked punt no different than a muffed kick. In fact, if it makes it easier to understand imagine if the Cowboys player only got a piece of the ball and the punt still traveled 25-30 yards down the field and then Cedric Wilson or Lamb tried to return it but bobbled the ball and the Broncos recovered. That's first down Denver.

There's no conspiracy.

The fact the Broncos recovered it behind the 1st down marker has ZERO relevance to the play.

Dude, we all know it was the right call. But I think the rule should be changed. If you block a punt you should end up with the ball.

 

[Runwildboys]

The touch (block) doesn’t matter in anything
It’s the touch beyond the LOS that matters and that touch equates to a procession so it’s just like he recovered it and fumbled it again
It’s exactly like the blocked FG that Leon Lett touched years ago against Miami when he tried to recover the blocked FG
Had the second touch been behind the LOS it wouldn’t have been a turnover, it’s just about the touch beyond the LOS
It’s basically a muffed punt at that point and the rules apply just like any other muffed punt
If it wasn’t blocked but just went say 20 yards then it would still be a muff if a player on the return team touched it, but if they or he had just let it go it would have been a dead ball where ever they recovered it even if that was beyond the line to gain
Think of it as the block doesn’t matter once it crosses the LOS, at that point blocked or not it’s just another punt

I know the rule. I'm saying they should change it from LoS to Yard to Gain line. Everything else would stay the same.

 

[conner01]

The rule would be the same as it is, except instead of the ball having to pass the Loss, it would have to pass the Yard to Gain line...or did they mark the ball where the Broncos gained possession, not where they advanced it to?

The ball was marked where the Broncos recovered it because it’s a muffed punt and can’t be returned
Once it passes the LOS it’s just like any other punt
Had we not touched it, then it’s our ball where it’s recovered no matter who recovers it. Just like any punt would be

 

[conner01]

I know the rule. I'm saying they should change it from LoS to Yard to Gain line. Everything else would stay the same.

Let’s say a team needs 10 yards for a first down
They line up to punt just punt 12 yards then run down and recover it
Is that a first down and their ball? No
If any one on our team touched it then it would be
It doesn’t matter that it was blocked once it passes the LOS, it’s just like any other punt at that point

 

[Runwildboys]

Let’s say a team needs 10 yards for a first down
They line up to punt just punt 12 yards then run down and recover it
Is that a first down and their ball? No
If any one on our team touched it then it would be
It doesn’t matter that it was blocked once it passes the LOS, it’s just like any other punt at that point

And what I'm saying is that it shouldn't be the LoS that they use. It should be that no matter what happens before the first down marker, other than the receiving team taking full possession (similar to the possession rules of a reception) then fumbling it away, the ball belongs to the receiving team.

 

[MyFairLady]

It would be weird to use the anything but the line of scrimmage. It could be anything otherwise. 4th and inches would mean it is basically the line of scrimmage. 4th and 20 would mean there would be a large gap where anything goes. I feel like the rule is fine. It is pretty obscure and may only come up once every 10 years but the devil is in the details.

 

[conner01]

And what I'm saying is that it shouldn't be the LoS that they use. It should be that no matter what happens before the first down marker, other than the receiving team taking full possession (similar to the possession rules of a reception) then fumbling it away, the ball belongs to the receiving team.

That would mean a muffed punt wouldn’t be a fumble

 

[nalam]

Let’s say a team needs 10 yards for a first down
They line up to punt just punt 12 yards then run down and recover it
Is that a first down and their ball? No
If any one on our team touched it then it would be
It doesn’t matter that it was blocked once it passes the LOS, it’s just like any other punt at that point

by that token , when one team blocks the punt that means they touch the ball , so if the punting team recovers it why cant they advance ? The question is blocked punt is a live ball or not , you cant have it both ways , why there is a requirement that blocked punt when it travels beyond LOS becomes a live ball. It is inconsistent

 

[conner01]

It would be weird to use the anything but the line of scrimmage. It could be anything otherwise. 4th and inches would mean it is basically the line of scrimmage. 4th and 20 would mean there would be a large gap where anything goes. I feel like the rule is fine. It is pretty obscure and may only come up once every 10 years but the devil is in the details.

It’s used more on FG attempts
Most blocked punts don’t cross the line of scrimmage but FG do a lot
It’s the same rule on either
Leon Lett knows first hand how the rule applies

 

[conner01]

by that token , when one team blocks the punt that means they touch the ball , so if the punting team recovers it why cant they advance ? The question is blocked punt is a live ball or not , you cant have it both ways , why there is a requirement that blocked punt when it travels beyond LOS becomes a live ball. It is inconsistent

One the ball crossed the LOS the block become ilrelavant as it has forever
A blocked punt behind the LOS can’t be advanced
It’s no different on a FG attempt
If a FG is blocked then the kicking team can’t regain procession unless it’s touched by the other team beyond the LOS
This is not a new rule
It’s the same rule that gave Miami the ball back on a blocked FG when Lett tried to recover it
If a kick, be that punt or FG is blocked and goes past the LOS then you don’t touch it
If you touch it then it’s the same thing as a muffed punt and can be recovered by the kicking team but can’t be advanced as this one was brought back to where it was recovered

 

[MarcusRock]

The team blocking the punt should be rewarded for the good play and not have the play reversed because someone touched the ball in a huge crowd.

But they didn't do enough of a good job of blocking because the ball got past the LOS. Same if a guy gets a hand on a FG try yet the ball still makes it through the uprights. Want to be rewarded, do a better job of blocking. We DID get penalized for a bad play because Wright couldn't handle the ball. If FG teams have it blazed into their heads that if you block a kick that gets through and falls short, to just let it lie there, why can't punt teams? "Not a common occurrence" is no excuse for rules that are on the books when you sign up to play that season. Coaches and players get paid to know the rules just like I've been saying in talking about that Butler substitution penalty back in the 2016 playoff game.

 

[Runwildboys]

That would mean a muffed punt wouldn’t be a fumble

Only if it was inside the first down marker.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

Dude, we all know it was the right call. But I think the rule should be changed. If you block a punt you should end up with the ball.

You do get the ball if you 1) simply don’t touch it after it is blocked; or 2) field it cleanly.

There’s no reason why you should be rewarded for partially blocking a punt. The reward for blocking the punt is gained through better field position and the potential of recovering the kick and scoring.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

Only if it was inside the first down marker.

The first down field marker that has absolutely no relevance once a punt passes the LOS?

 

[aikemirv]

If they blocked the punt and it didn't make it past the line of scrimmage then they would have had to make a first down. If we tipped the punt and it still went 50 yards, and our player muffed it and Denver got it no one would be complaining.

So what do you think the rule should be if not the line of scrimmage that the punt has to get past for it to be considered a punt? It's the most sensible rule, we were just unfortunate the ball only went a few yards past the line of scrimmage and our guy thought he could grab it. If you want to be mad, be mad at the player who lept in the air to try to field the punt. He should have left it alone and it would have been our ball.

For example, a kick could get blocked like it did and hit a returning team player in the back as he started downfield. The punting team falls on it for a 1st down. That is messed up in my opinion because you reward the offense for getting the punt blocked. They should have to at least make a first down with the recovery.

 

[conner01]

Only if it was inside the first down marker.

So you want a rule that a team could punt the ball inside the line to gain and recover it and advance it for a first down?
If it was 4th and 20 you could just punt it just past the LOS scrimmage then run up and pick it up and advance it
The rule here has been the same for as long as I can remember
The rule isn’t the problem
Players not knowing the rule is
Had he just left the ball alone it was our ball, exactly like when Leon Lett did the same thing

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

For example, a kick could get blocked like it did and hit a returning team player in the back as he started downfield. The punting team falls on it for a 1st down. That is messed up in my opinion because you reward the offense for getting the punt blocked. They should have to at least make a first down with the recovery.

The same “they should be rewarded” angle should not even be a consideration.

You could also make a similar claim on a typical punt play where the ball travels 45-50 yards down the field. If the ball hits one of the receiving team’s blockers in the back and the punting team recovers, it could be argued “that’s not fair…the punting team was stopped on 3rd down…they shouldn’t be rewarded the ball back.”

Where does it end?

 

[Runwildboys]

The first down field marker that has absolutely no relevance once a punt passes the LOS?

This is what I'm saying should change. Instead of it being "considered a punt" once it crosses the LoS, it should be "considered a punt" once it crosses the first down marker.
Suppose it's 4th down 24 yards to go, and the offense decides to go for it. They'd need to gain 24 yards to get the first down. Why should kicking the ball give them the better opportunity to get a first down 1 to 24 yards sooner? That's what I find wrong with the current rule.

 

[Runwildboys]

So you want a rule that a team could punt the ball inside the line to gain and recover it and advance it for a first down?
If it was 4th and 20 you could just punt it just past the LOS scrimmage then run up and pick it up and advance it
The rule here has been the same for as long as I can remember
The rule isn’t the problem
Players not knowing the rule is
Had he just left the ball alone it was our ball, exactly like when Leon Lett did the same thing

No. I'm saying that in a situation like the one on Sunday, the kicking team should have to advance the ball past the first down marker in order to get a first down, rather than be able to just fall on it wherever it lands and gain possession. After crossing the line to gain, the rule could either be that's where they get the ball, or that they get it as far as they advance it, including a TD if they get that far...but that's a different discussion, irrelevant to this conversation.

 

[Rockport]

You do get the ball if you 1) simply don’t touch it after it is blocked; or 2) field it cleanly.

There’s no reason why you should be rewarded for partially blocking a punt. The reward for blocking the punt is gained through better field position and the potential of recovering the kick and scoring.

Well, I disagree.