Touchback rule

[Mcsports]

So what is the premise of the rule? I don't get it. And don't care if it's been a rule since the 60's. Every fumble goes to the team that recovered it. Who was the brain surgeon that says it goes to the other team if you fumble through the endzone? They change/update rules every year like what is a catch! They can and should review this.

Excellent points. The rule comfirms
With no others.
Perhaps the offense should get it at the 20.

 

[Hoofbite]

Nothing wrong with the rule.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

I understand your point, but I don't think they should change the rule. We loved the rule when the Eagles' Doooooooosh-on Johnson spiked the ball at the one before crossing the goal line. It was hilarious to see that jerk with egg all over his face. Cede wasn't that stupid. He was reaching to put the ball over the goal line for a touchdown, but it was knocked out (or he just lost control; I'll need to watch again). That was a rotten break, but I can't see changing the rule. Players know they need to control the ball as it goes over the goal line. There are risks involved with reaching the ball over the goal line. It would have been better if Cede had just hung on tight to the ball and thus had gotten us to the 1.

 

[HeavyBarrel]

It’s not logical nor does it have to be- Logic would dictate if PI is a spot foul then offensive PI should be an INT,

 

[Havic]

Rule needs to stay, offenses have enough over the defense as it is.

 

[coult44]

Meh....... I don't think anyone would have issue with the rule if this play had happened in Dallas' favor.

This rule isn't new, and the only time people get pissed off about it is when their team falls victim to it.

People have been pissed about it for years. Where have you been ? They’ve been talking about getting rid of it even during the past several weeks.

 

[jterrell]

If the offense fumbles it forward with no recovery in the field of play, do they get the yardage? Like if a fumble is forced at the 5 and the ball goes out at the 1...where does the offense get the ball currently?

They get the ball back at the 5.
As it should be everywhere on the field.

 

[jterrell]

Explanation of rule from random guy:

Quick explanation to help those confused as to why this rule exists or how it makes sense. There's the field of play, and the endzones. Each team owns an endzone, swapping each quarter. No team owns the field of play. When you fumble the ball no one is in possession at that point, and it is a live ball. If you fall on it and maintain possession it becomes your ball whether you were on offense or defense when it was fumbled. If you fumble out of bounds in the field of play no one owns the ball at that point, so by default it goes back to the team who possessed it last since the field of play is neutral.

If you fumble through my endzone the ball is no longer possessed by either team, but by default goes to the team that owns that endzone. It makes perfect sense. No one possesses the live ball and it needs to go somewhere, so it defaults to whomever owns that endzone.

Still seems like a terrible penalty to the offense. I think they should be penalized and moved to a predetermined yard line, but the loss of possession seems a bit much.

It absolutely does NOT make sense and is dumb as can be.
The rule is that the team who possessed the ball last possesses it until the other team recovers it.
The ball doesn't belong to the end zone or the other team.

This is easily the dumbest NFL rule ever created.
An offensive player who has the ball at the 5 but fumbles it forward out of bounds at the 1 and the ball goes back to the 5.
Changing the rule to address the end zone specifically and making it a turnover and 20 yards of field position is nuts application.

 

[TwentyOne]

It's very stupid. The defense should only get the ball in a recovery of the fumble.

Great idea.

Then a QB who is in danger of getting sacked in his own endzone just has to throw the ball behind him out of the endzone and will get it back.
Same with a punter or any other player. You dont like the look just throw it over your back.

 

[jterrell]

What other play can the ball go out of the bounds in the end zone without it being a touchback or safety?

Passes are thrown incomplete into the end zone all of the time. Ball goes out of the end zone and they play the next down from the prior LOS.
The end zone is just another area of the field of play and the ball leaving the field of play is the rule that should be applied same as it is everywhere else.
If you fumble it out of your own end zone it is safety. No one gets the ball at the 20.
Its treated the same way a tackle in the end zone would be treated. Which makes sense.
But having the ball fumbled forward out of bounds become a touchback and turnover is nuts.
It is handing the defense a recovery they never made.
The ball belongs to the team who possessed it last.

 

[Staubacher]

Great idea.

Then a QB who is in danger of getting sacked in his own endzone just has to throw the ball behind him out of the endzone and will get it back.
Same with a punter or any other player. You dont like the look just throw it over your back.

I think you have the end zones backwards there. We're talking about an offense on the defensive side of the field going in for a score and fumbling out of the defenses end zone. Not a safety situation in the offenses own end zone as you are referring to

 

[links18]

If they would have had changed this rule in 1992. Leon Lett's fumble would have given us the ball at the 1. And we could have scored 59 points.

And George Teague wouldn't have changed the 96 playoff game against the Vikes with an amazing play on Amp Lee.