North Dakota Preps

If a punt rolls to the 1/2 yd line and a member of the punting team dives on it, and the player diving on it slides into end zone / is clearly in the end zone, but the ball stays on the 1/2 yd line, that is receiving teams ball at the 1/2 yd line correct? The ball has to actually enter the end zone for it to be a touchback, correct?

If punting team player in his effort to down the ball at the half yard line has contact with the ball and part of his person touches the goal line or beyond while contacting the ball it would be a touchback, yes.

I know that's the NFL rule, but are you sure that's the h.s rule?

Always assumed it to be the rule I’ll check the current book and update when I come across that specification.

NFHS 8-5 Article 3:
It is a touchback when:
a. any free kick or scrimmage kick:
1. Which is not a scoring attempt or which is a grounded three point-field-goal attempt, breaks the plane of R’s goal line unless R chooses a spot of 1st touching by K.
2. Which is a 3-point- field-goal attempt, in flight touches a K player in R’s end zone, or after breaking the plane of R’s goal line is unsuccessful.
b. Any scrimmage kick or free kick becomes dead on or behind K’s goal line with the ball in possession of K( including when the ball is declared dead with no player in possession) and the new force is R’s muff or bay of the kick after it has touched the ground.

This isn’t an area my position in the crew has to deal with but the way the rule is written is balderdash in my opin. of the officials I’ve asked about the half yard line touch with one foot on goal line all have said touchback.
It’s something that doesn’t occur all to often at the HS school level but in all the same an intriguing enough question that it should be brought up in discussion on a state to state basis. Each week something akin to this comes up and Referees and officials are updated properly. I do see your point when reading the rule but also could get into a discussion about possession and where in proximity on the field the player is matters as much as where the ball is downed.

5-time state chump wrote:If a punt rolls to the 1/2 yd line and a member of the punting team dives on it, and the player diving on it slides into end zone / is clearly in the end zone, but the ball stays on the 1/2 yd line, that is receiving teams ball at the 1/2 yd line correct? The ball has to actually enter the end zone for it to be a touchback, correct?

My interpretation of the rule is if a member of the punting team gained "control" of the ball in field of play and momentum carried player and ball past goal line, it is a touch back. If a player from the receiving team gained "control" of ball and momentum carried player and ball past goal line, ball is placed on the 1 yard line. In your example, the ball does not cross the goal line, so it would be spotted where it was downed even if a part of their body (but not the ball) crossed the goal line. This is just my interpretation of the rule and have no idea if it's correct.