Rules question (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Haseley]

This either nearly happened or did happen yesterday in the Green Bay game. Tramon Williams returned a pooch punt for a TD against against Carolina. In his return he was accompanied down the sidelines by teammate Jason Hunter. Hunter was briefly holding onto Williams' arm in the tail end of the run and he looked to possibly have stepped out of bounds while doing so. Does this mean if he is out of bounds and he's touching a player who has possession of the ball, then that player is also ruled out of bounds?

 

[brettdj]

Only if he is touching the ball.

 

[PMENFAN]

This either nearly happened or did happen yesterday in the Green Bay game. Tramon Williams returned a pooch punt for a TD against against Carolina. In his return he was accompanied down the sidelines by teammate Jason Hunter. Hunter was briefly holding onto Williams' arm in the tail end of the run and he looked to possibly have stepped out of bounds while doing so. Does this mean if he is out of bounds and he's touching a player who has possession of the ball, then that player is also ruled out of bounds?

No. I'be seen many plays where the tackling player is OB, but the tacklee stays in. There's no 'connectivity" rule. It's just each individual..

 

[David Yudkin]

I believe the rule is the guy with the ball has to be out of bounds (or anyone touching the ball needs to be out of bounds) for the out of bounds call to be made.

I remember a play in a BUF/NE game about 5-6 years ago where a player got knocked unconscious and fumbled the ball. While laying on the field out cold, his foot came in contact with the sideline. The ball bounced around on the ground and grazed off the injured player, and the defensive scooped up the ball for an apparent touchdown. But the play was called dead at the point it hit the injured player (for being in contact with the sideline), and the team retained possession (the defense hadn't recoverdit yet) even though the ball itself never went out of bounds.