a. If a player of the kicking team catches or recovers a scrimmage kick that has crossed the neutral zone, the ball becomes dead. The ball belongs to the receiving team at the dead-ball spot, unless the kicking team is in legal possession when the ball is declared dead. In the latter case, the ball belongs to the kicking team. (Exception:Rule 8-4-2b).
Approved Ruling 6-3-1 IV. Team A’s punt from behind its own goal line crosses the neutral zone into the field of play, strikes a Team B player and rebounds back across Team A’s goal line, where A32 recovers. RULING: Safety (Rules 6-3-3, 6-3-6a and 8-5-1a).
b. If opposing players who are each eligible to touch the ball simultaneously catch or recover a scrimmage kick, the simultaneous possession makes the ball dead. A kick declared dead in joint possession of opposing players is awarded to the receiving team (Rules 2-4-4 and 4-1-3l).
