Forward Fumble Rules Question (1 Viewer)

[kittenmittens]

Usually when an offensive players fumbles the ball forwards and the offense recovers, the ball is placed at the spot of the fumble because the offense isn't allowed to advance on a forward fumble.  However, if an offensive player is reaching for the end zone and fumbles the ball forwards into the end zone and it is recovered by the offense, it is a touchdown. 

What is up with this?

 

[Arodin]

Usually when an offensive players fumbles the ball forwards and the offense recovers, the ball is placed at the spot of the fumble because the offense isn't allowed to advance on a forward fumble.  However, if an offensive player is reaching for the end zone and fumbles the ball forwards into the end zone and it is recovered by the offense, it is a touchdown. 

What is up with this?

Balls can be advanced on fumbles except within the last 5(?) minutes of a half.  Only during that window of time does the ball return to the spot of the fumble.

Not sure it's 5...could be 2...but there is a limited time in which the "return to spot of fumble" rule applies.

 

[kittenmittens]

Thanks.

What about fumbling forward out of bounds for the first down?  Does that go back to the spot of the fumble?  I swear that just happened last week and it was returned to the spot of the fumble, and I don't think it was within 2 minutes of the half.

 

[Arodin]

Thanks.

What about fumbling forward out of bounds for the first down?  Does that go back to the spot of the fumble?  I swear that just happened last week and it was returned to the spot of the fumble, and I don't think it was within 2 minutes of the half.

I believe a fumble out of bounds goes back to the last point of possession.  It's different from when the forward fumble is actually recovered by a player (offense or defense) in the field of play.

Exception is if the fumble goes through the endzone, in which case, as we know from many painful experiences, it is a touchback and the defense gets the ball at the 25.