Force, Safety and Touchback

Situation:  The offensive running back fumbles the ball at the 2 yard line as he is trying to score a touchdown.  The ball rolls across the goal line and out of bounds.  This is a touchback and the defensive team will get the ball on their 20 yard line first and ten.

Art. 3.  It is a touchback when:

c. A fumble is the force, or a muff or bat of a backward pass or a fumble after either has touched the ground is the new force, which sends the ball to or across the opponent's goal line and provided such opponents is in team possession or the ball is out of bounds when it becomes dead on or behind its goal line.

Art. 4.  The team whose goal line is involved shall put the ball in play anywhere between the inbounds lines on its 20-yard line by snap after a touchback and by a free kick after a safety.

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