Ask the Ref: Recovering a punt that was touched at line of scrimmage

A bill in the Louisiana state house would penalize parents who threaten or harass a school or athletic referee official.

Credit: Free-photos/Pixabay

Credit: Free-photos/Pixabay

A bill in the Louisiana state house would penalize parents who threaten or harass a school or athletic referee official.

Q: A player punts the ball, and it is very low and hits a receiving team member around the line of scrimmage. Is the ball now a recoverable ball for the punting team, or is it treated like a live punt? - Rob Roberts, Ball Ground

A: The touching of a low scrimmage kick by any player is ignored if the touching is in or behind the expanded neutral zone. This is found in Rule 6, Section 2, Article 6. The improvement in the kicking game in Georgia over the past 20-plus years makes this type of play less frequent than in years prior, but now that it has been asked, it will probably happen in numerous games Friday night." - Keith Hammond, Georgia Football Officials Association

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