Fumble out of bounds in the end zone

[Nat Mann]

If you fumble the ball into the endzone and it goes out of bounds, it's a touchback and the other team gets the ball on their 20.

Does anyone have any idea why the consequences of such a fumble are so severe? If you fumble the ball out of bounds on one side of the goal line it's your ball where it went out, but an inch over the line and it's loss of possession and a twenty yard penalty. It seems a bit disproportionate.

 

[LetsGoPats]

Originally, they probably figured -- well, if you give the ball back to offense in the fumble spot (in the end zone) then it's a touchdown, but we can't reward offense for fumbling………so defense gets the ball!

Why they didn't think to give offense the ball at one yard line instead, I don't know.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

If you fumble the ball into the endzone and it goes out of bounds, it's a touchback and the other team gets the ball on their 20.

Does anyone have any idea why the consequences of such a fumble are so severe? If you fumble the ball out of bounds on one side of the goal line it's your ball where it went out, but an inch over the line and it's loss of possession and a twenty yard penalty. It seems a bit disproportionate.

any fumble, you get the ball back where either you regain possession or where it goes out of bounds... if it is fumbled in the endzone, and goes out of bounds there is no actual yard spot to put the ball back on as it is a negative yard on the field... you cant get the ball back, because again, there is no place to put the ball... so the other team HAS to get the ball...

it is not a penalty at all... and not harsh at all... I mean, getting a TD is very easy when it comes to carry over rules... once it crosses, it is a TD...

 

[BigFin]

It’s a bad rule because the other team didn’t recover the fumble, yet they get the ball.

 

[BrownEyedGirl]

Worst rule in the NFL, perhaps all of professional sports.

 

[fknhippie]

Hold on to the damn ball.

 

[PhilSimms11]

How about giving the fumbling team the ball at the 35? True, fumbling is naughty, but the defense didn't recover the ball so why reward them? Punish the offense by going from the 1 back to the 35.

 

[BrownEyedGirl]

How about giving the fumbling team the ball at the 35? True, fumbling is naughty, but the defense didn't recover the ball so why reward them? Punish the offense by going from the 1 back to the 35.

I'd be fine with just going back to the original line of scrimmage and a loss of down.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

Wow... I am shocked by the responses here.. I don't think the rule is harsh at all... and it is the most logical result for a fumble out of the other teams end zone...

Is the fumble out of your endzone being a safety a bad rule too??

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Controversial take: The sport is already highly subjective and as such there isn't much of a thing as proportional punishment in the discrete sense. Trying to make the sport objective leads to bullshit like the catch rule.

IOW: The rule is ok, just don't extend the ball if you're gonna fumble. Not a big deal.

 

[The Q]

Worst rule in the NFL, perhaps all of professional sports.

the NBA has at least 3 rules worse than this

 

[dtgold88]

Hard to believe when discussing this type of play someone said "let's reward the defense even though they did not recover the fumble (and may not even had a hand in causing the fumble)". worse is a group of people had to say, "good idea".

Nearly anything than the actual rule would be better. Ball at spot of fumble for the O...ball where they have a 2 point try....ball on 10, 20, whatever.

 

[dtgold88]

the NBA has at least 3 rules worse than this

such as?

 

[dtgold88]

any fumble, you get the ball back where either you regain possession or where it goes out of bounds... if it is fumbled in the endzone, and goes out of bounds there is no actual yard spot to put the ball back on as it is a negative yard on the field... you cant get the ball back, because again, there is no place to put the ball... so the other team HAS to get the ball...

it is not a penalty at all... and not harsh at all... I mean, getting a TD is very easy when it comes to carry over rules... once it crosses, it is a TD...

Ok, and any other time the D gets the ball back on a fumble it's because they recovered the fumble. why do they HAVE to be rewarded in this instance for not recovering the ball?

 

[Hank Kingsley]

It's an aggravating rule for sure.

Even more so when it doesn't actually go though the endzone but they say it did.

Nuclear Ben Watson knocked him out.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

Hard to believe when discussing this type of play someone said "let's reward the defense even though they did not recover the fumble (and may not even had a hand in causing the fumble)". worse is a group of people had to say, "good idea".

Nearly anything than the actual rule would be better. Ball at spot of fumble for the O...ball where they have a 2 point try....ball on 10, 20, whatever.

LOL at your hate for the rule...

I just don't get the problem...

 

[dtgold88]

Wow... I am shocked by the responses here.. I don't think the rule is harsh at all... and it is the most logical result for a fumble out of the other teams end zone...

Is the fumble out of your endzone being a safety a bad rule too??

No, it's not, because when you tackle a guy in their end zone that is also a safety.

 

[LetsGoPats]

such as?

No fat guys.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

Ok, and any other time the D gets the ball back on a fumble it's because they recovered the fumble. why do they HAVE to be rewarded in this instance for not recovering the ball?

Because the fumble lost yards, and it is out of the offense's field of play... think about it in math terms, it would be a negative number..... so really the rules don't change at all... you lose the ball, you lose yards, ball is where it goes out of bounds... But because there is no negative yard line, the other team gets the ball...

it really is simple...


also, for this to be a fumble, you must fumble it before you get into the endzone...

 

[dtgold88]

LOL at your hate for the rule...

I just don't get the problem...

Clearly you don't and that is your right. As it's mine to think it's absurd to reward the D for a fumble they never recovered (and in many cases, didn't even cause).

FYI, an "LOL", an emoji, etc. wont enhance your opinion/argument.