Can teams actually do this on kickoffs in the playoffs?

[thenepatsrule]

Randall Cobb takes advantage of bizarre NFL rule | Audibles - SI.com

Randall Cobb took advantage of a little-known rule to get the Packers terrific field position at the start of the third quarter Sunday. Tennessee’s Rob Bironas kicked off to Cobb, who waited for the ball near his own end zone.

The kickoff landed shy of the Green Bay goal line and rolled nearly to a stop at about the 4. Rather than pick up the ball and return it, Cobb put one foot on the sideline and fielded it — meaning that the kickoff, technically, had landed out of bounds, which led to a penalty against the Titans and gave Green Bay possession on its own 40.

The NFL’s rule regarding that play is the same as on a fumble: If any part of a player’s body is out of bounds when he makes contact with the football, the ball is considered out of bounds as well.

To his credit, CBS color commentator Dan Dierdorf was all over the bizarre ruling and immediately began praising Cobb for his quick thinking.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

That's a SMART player.

When is he a free agent?

 

[DocHoliday]

That's a SMART player.

When is he a free agent?

He's essentially a developed and younger Edelman

 

[sieglo]

Looked like he did it accidentally.

 

[Froob]

Wow, surprised nobody has ever done that before. I wonder if they would consider a rule change if this became popular.

 

[thenepatsrule]

Looked like he did it accidentally.

I dont think that was accidental

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Looked like he did it accidentally.

Look how he sticks his right foot way way out to make sure there's no mistaking it's far out of bounds, and then how he casually flips the ball to the ref. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Maybe the Titans kicker has a habit of kicking outside the hash marks and he was coached up on this, but it is still impressive.

 

[Big-T]

Wow, surprised nobody has ever done that before. I wonder if they would consider a rule change if this became popular.

A Cardinals player did it a couple of years back but it's rare to see surprisingly.

It's a common thing in Rugby too. Some players in the NFL probably don't know about it though.

 

[ALP]

wow, thats kinda awesome, it will make kickers make sure they stay away from the sidelines....

 

[Uncle Rico]

Interesting.

This made me think back to Super Bowl 36, and I had to do a little research for facts but can't find a video:

After the TD pass to Patten near the end of the half gave the Pats a 14-3 lead, Vinatieri's kick-off was taken by Marshall Faulk, who stepped out of bound at the 6 with 30 seconds left.

I wonder if this rule was in place then; if so, and if Faulk thought of it, I wonder if he had a chance to make this type of play, give his team the ball at the 40, and maybe have a chance for an FG before the half. Does anyone remember that kick?

 

[Steve102]

Interesting.

This made me think back to Super Bowl 36, and I had to do a little research for facts but can't find a video:

After the TD pass to Patten near the end of the half gave the Pats a 14-3 lead, Vinatieri's kick-off was taken by Marshall Faulk, who stepped out of bound at the 6 with 30 seconds left.

I wonder if this rule was in place then; if so, and if Faulk thought of it, I wonder if he had a chance to make this type of play, give his team the ball at the 40, and maybe have a chance for an FG before the half. Does anyone remember that kick?

I remember that kick. Seemed pretty fortuitous at the time, looking like a guy desperate to make a play in a situation he wasn't used to being in.

 

[Betterthanmost]

Wow, surprised nobody has ever done that before. I wonder if they would consider a rule change if this became popular.

A patriots player has done this before. I don't remember who it was, but it was a sunday night game, I remember the commentators going on and on about how attentive the Pats were to details.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Interesting.

This made me think back to Super Bowl 36, and I had to do a little research for facts but can't find a video:

After the TD pass to Patten near the end of the half gave the Pats a 14-3 lead, Vinatieri's kick-off was taken by Marshall Faulk, who stepped out of bound at the 6 with 30 seconds left.

I wonder if this rule was in place then; if so, and if Faulk thought of it, I wonder if he had a chance to make this type of play, give his team the ball at the 40, and maybe have a chance for an FG before the half. Does anyone remember that kick?

good memory.

I found the play-by-play:

Faulk ran out-of-bounds at the 6 with 31 seconds left.

USATODAY.com - Super Bowl XXXVI play-by-play

I would not have liked to have seen Kurt Warner take the ball at his own 40, with 31 seconds, and one timeout.

At the time I think the live analysis was that if Faulk had been the regular kickoff return guy (he wasn't), he might have chosen to let it bounce and go out-of-bounds, perhaps giving his team the ball at the 40. In actuality, maybe all he had to do was step out of bounds and field the ball. That could have made a huge difference.

 

[patsfan13]

Very good play smart player, smart coaching, situational football at it's best.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Wow, surprised nobody has ever done that before. I wonder if they would consider a rule change if this became popular.

Probably very few chances to do it. The ball has to be rolling close to the sideline and slow enough to get yourself in Cobb's position there, usually the KR is lined up inside the hashmarks. Alot of kicks probably just roll out of bounds anyways.

But wow what a heads up play. Credit to his situational awareness.

 

[BradyBranch39]

Dan Dierdorf was all over the bizarre ruling

Nothing bizarre about this at all. This has been the rule for a while, and every 3 years or so a guy takes advantage of it.

Of course it will stay for the playoffs.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Interesting.

This made me think back to Super Bowl 36, and I had to do a little research for facts but can't find a video:

After the TD pass to Patten near the end of the half gave the Pats a 14-3 lead, Vinatieri's kick-off was taken by Marshall Faulk, who stepped out of bound at the 6 with 30 seconds left.

I wonder if this rule was in place then; if so, and if Faulk thought of it, I wonder if he had a chance to make this type of play, give his team the ball at the 40, and maybe have a chance for an FG before the half. Does anyone remember that kick?

IIRC that kick would've easily went OOB had he just let it go. Terrible play by Faulk to field it altogether and we got very lucky there but I guess we had them in such a desperate situation at that point they were pressing for a huge play.

 

[ewg_gestalt]

Good knowledge of bad rules.

A kickoff that goes out the back of the end zone is a touchback, but a kick hat bounces a whole bunch of times and then goes out of bounds gets you to the 40? That's a sign of a bad rule.

Let a kick that doesn't bounce before going out start at the 40. But a fielded ball should be reckoned from where the runner ends up.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Very smart play, but I thought this rule was common knowledge. The Pats have taken advantage of it before.

 

[Michigan Dave]

I don't think that's a little known rule. Teams coach players to do that. I believe Welker did that before (or maybe Hobbs? I don't think Welker returned kickoffs) I forget. But we definitely had a returner do that within the last 5 years or so.