Is a muffed punt return a Fumble?

[Big John]

I know besides an on side kick, it is rare for a kickoff to be "muffed", but how does that turnover show up in the stats? Is it not considered a turnover because it is still technically a free ball? I suppose that is the answer, but.... the "muff as fumble" rule, or stat, should be changed. 

 

Yes, kickoffs are free balls, so no turnover.  Punts become the possesion of the other team once it crosses the line of scrimmage, so a muffed punt is statically consider a fumble if the kicking team recovers it.

 

There is another issue, the blocked punt. I suppose there is a rule that says if the recieving team touches the kicked ball behind the line of scrimmage, it's not a free ball. What would happen if the punter kicks a line drive, that hits a player on the recieving team just beyond the line of scrimmage?  Is that now a free ball, and would the lineman be charged with a fumble? If that were true, I wonder why it's never been tried at the end of a game, under strange circumstances.

 

Since it did not cross the line of scrimmage, it is still the kicking team's ball if they recover it, but they would need to get the 1st-down yardage on the recovery (then can still advance the ball since it was not considered a muff), otherwise they would lose possession on downs (except the the rare instance they punt on less than 4th down).

 

Under the second sinerio, that would be a muff and a free ball.  I suppose that was never tried as the ball is too hard to control for that to have a realistic shot of happening.

 

One more item, does the kicking team's defense get credit for a forced fumble, either on a muff or one of these crazy examples I brought up?

 

A muff is not a forced fumble since the receiving team never had control of the ball.

 

[Rovers]

Hmmmm.... CBS Sportsline did give one point to the Carolina D for the muff recovery.

 

I think if I were a head coach, I would fool with the idea of having a play where the punter attempts to intentionally hit an opposing lineman with a punted ball. If a team is setting up for a return, while it's a ridiculously long shot, it does seem feasable if faced with a 4th and 25 or something, at the end of a game. The punter gets the snap, the interior line instead of punt/pass blocking, tries to move the pile, and then seperates. The punter runs to the line of scrimmage, making it look like a fake, and boots it into the line.

 

OK, I know I have too much time on my hands! But.... anything is better than punting the ball away with 2 minutes left and down 4 points.