# Kickoff Out of Bounds, Penalty Question



## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Okay....

Watching the Dallas / Minn game right now.

Dallas had a 15yrd penalty for excessive celebration (let's not debate that one, it was called..)

So they were kicking off 15 yards back.

The kick-off went out of bounds.... so penalty. Ball was put on the 45yrd line.

Does anyone think that this should have been different because of the different kick-off point? Like the Dallas 45? or even the 40?


----------



## Spicoli (Jun 7, 2006)

Not really. It doesn't matter where the ball goes out of bounds on a normal kick off. Whether it's at the 5 yard line or the 35 yard line. The penalty is the same.


----------



## Spicoli (Jun 7, 2006)

Although I thought the penalty placed the ball at the 40 yard line. I'm not watching that particular game so I don't know the circimstances...


----------



## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

I missed the kick in question, so I can't say.

I think there should be (if there isn't) a different penalty than just spotting at a specific yard mark on an out of bounds kick.

Otherwise, if you knew it would always go at the 40... you might kick one out of bounds on purpose to get a better result if you were backed up that badly in your own end for the kickoff.


----------



## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

The ball is actually placed relative to the kickoff point.The penalty is to place the ball at the out of bounds point or 30 yards from the kickoff.

Rule 6, Section 3, Article 3(a):

"Receivers' ball 30 yards from the spot of the kick or the team may elect the option of taking possession of the ball at the out-of-bounds spot."

Normally, the kick off from the 30, so 30 yards would be the receiving team's 40 (happened in Ravens/Patriots game today). In the case Earl is citing, they must have kicked off was from the 15. So, the ball is spotted at the kicking team's 45, unless it goes out of bounds in even better a situation.


----------



## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

tonyd79 said:


> The ball is actually placed relative to the kickoff point.The penalty is to place the ball at the out of bounds point or 30 yards from the kickoff.
> 
> Rule 6, Section 3, Article 3(a):
> 
> ...


Ah... Okay... then it is how I would expect it to be.... The official just said: 45yrd line... didn't say which one.


----------



## TheRatPatrol (Oct 1, 2003)

Earl Bonovich said:


> Dallas had a 15yrd penalty for excessive celebration (let's not debate that one, it was called..)


That has got to be the stupidest penalty ever. You can't be happy and celebrate that you just scored? I know, I'm sure theres a thread around here somewhere discussing it already.


----------



## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

TheRatPatrol said:


> That has got to be the stupidest penalty ever. You can't be happy and celebrate that you just scored? I know, I'm sure theres a thread around here somewhere discussing it already.


You can celebrate, you just can't do what looks planned or use props.


----------



## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

TheRatPatrol said:


> That has got to be the stupidest penalty ever. You can't be happy and celebrate that you just scored? I know, I'm sure theres a thread around here somewhere discussing it already.


I agree it is stupid to penalize for celebration... BUT what is stupider is what used to happen before they made this penalty.

Before they enacted these penalties... someone would do a celebration stunt like that, and someone on the other team would throw a punch or tackle the guy and fights would break out... because people couldn't control themselves.

So, the league decided the only way to prevent those stupid fights were to penalize the celebrations out of the game.


----------



## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

sigma1914 said:


> You can celebrate, you just can't do what looks planned or use props.


or go to the ground in the process of celebrating. Cowbows got called for that last week when the tackle did a chest bump and then fell over his own stupid feet.

GO GIANTS!!!!


----------



## djlong (Jul 8, 2002)

From the talking heads on this week's pre-game shows, it wasn't the falling down that got him called. Rolling backwards into the somersault is what drew the flag.


----------

