Simple football question

[UK7titles]

an offensive player is running down the sidelines with the ball. he is hit by a defensive player and the ball pops loose. WHILE the ball is loose the offensive player WHILE laying out of bounds, reaches in and touches the ball trying to gain posession. before posession is gained, but after touching the ball. the defensive player, who is still in bounds, gains posession of the ball.

is it still the offenses ball because the offensive player touched it while being out of bounds..thus making it a dead ball.



or does the defense get it because they were the first to RECOVER the ball?

thanks in advance

[Wildcat Larry]

I'm guessing it's a dead ball when the guy out of bounds touches the ball. Therefore, it would still belong to the offense. Of course, this is just a guess, so we may need to go to the rule book for this one, unless someone knows for sure.

[HOMEYCAT]

I would guess the same. The offensive player touching the ball is part of the out of bounds, and the last player to have possession before the ball touched that which is part of the out of bounds, would keep the ball. However, it might be called otherwise on the field and when looked at on video, be "judged" otherwise. In other words, I would think that the ref's judgement in the moment may tend to swing toward the recoverer.

[lighthouse]

It is a dead ball as soon as the offensive player touches it. If you remember, that was one of the questions when Woodson fumbled one the 1 during the UL game.

[UK7titles]

lighthouse wrote: It is a dead ball as soon as the offensive player touches it. If you remember, that was one of the questions when Woodson fumbled one the 1 during the UL game.




that is exactly what i was referring to. my dad and i have been arguing about that rule forever now. i can't find it in the rulebook anywhere, but then again i'm not real sure where exactly to look. i argue with him telling him its like basketball, if a player is out of bounds and the ball touches him, the ball is dead.

[Wildcat Larry]

I found this in the NCAA Football Rules - 2005
Ball Out of Bounds
ARTICLE 3. a. A ball not in player possession, other than a kick that scores
a field goal, is out of bounds when it touches the ground, a player, a
game official or anything else that is on or outside a boundary line.