Muffed Punts

[HiltonSouth]

I don't understand why you can't return a muffed punt for a touchdown. Why is it not considered like a fumble?

 

[Clonehomer]

I'm guessing for safety of the returner. If he muffs a punt the first thing that's going to happen is he'll get blown up. If it is immediately blown dead then there's less reason to hit the returner.

 

[TNT]

Really? A thread for this? Why not just start a thread that says IOWA vs. NEBRASKA?

 

[BikeSkiClone]

I think because it's technically never in the possession of the returner. Pretty sure a kicking team cannot advance a kickoff either. If he catches it, establishes possession (like a catch), then fumbles, it's a different story. One of those weird rules like why spiking the ball is not intentional grounding.

 

[dualthreat]

Because there's an overwhelming probability that the punting team will be waiting there with numbers to recover it and likely return for a touchdown. Pretty cheap TD

 

[BikeSkiClone]

Really? A thread for this? Why not just start a thread that says IOWA vs. NEBRASKA?

Is there a thread capacity limit that CF is approaching?

OP might have wanted to discuss it without it getting buried in a game thread.

 

[Erik4Cy]

Nebraska is bad.

I've never liked rules where you can't advance the ball when a ball is muffed, fumbled, or recovered on an onside kick.

Don't want the other team to advance it/score on you? Hold onto the ball.

 

[19clone91]

Nebraska's QB is terrible. If they had a half decent QB in there this would be much more of an advantage for Nebrasksa

 

[TRZA]

i thought it was a rugby rule from a hundred years ago

 

[CloneIce]

I've always thought that is a weird rule. I suppose its for the safety of the returner or something.

 

[IcSyU]

Possession has to change. You're giving up the ball by kicking it so the opposing team has to establish possession of the ball before it can be advanced.