Can someone explain this to me?
On one of Giorgio's kickoff adventures, the ball went into the end zone - after bouncing all the way from the 25 yd line or so, and the PC returner started toward the sideline once the ball crossed the end zone line.
The ref then blew the whistle and signaled touchback - about the same time one of the kickoff team reached the end zone and picked up the ball.

Did I miss something?
Shouldn't that have been a live ball? Or is there some aspect of the rule that I don't understand here.

Or - given the score and the team, was this a "Mercy" whistle by the ref?

Any help would be appreciated.
Inquiring minds want to know ...

Technically, it was a live ball. If the guy let it roll and Cal recovered, it should have been a TD. Maybe everyone was shocked that GT kicked it that far...

Son-of-California;572592 said:

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Technically, it was a live ball. If the guy let it roll and Cal recovered, it should have been a TD. Maybe everyone was shocked that GT kicked it that far...

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Ball hits the ground in the endzone without being touched, it's a dead ball touchback

Really...didn't know that...

buster99;572594 said:

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Ball hits the ground in the endzone without being touched, it's a dead ball touchback

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Guess I just failed my referee exam - there goes my dream of being on the field in stripes.

Thanks for the explanation - something I never knew.

northendbear;572605 said:

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Guess I just failed my referee exam - there goes my dream of being on the field in stripes.

Thanks for the explanation - something I never knew.

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You're not alone. Starkey said the same thing in his broadcast. He was certain the refs screwed it up.

Son-of-California;572592 said:

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Technically, it was a live ball. If the guy let it roll and Cal recovered, it should have been a TD. Maybe everyone was shocked that GT kicked it that far...

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If a PC player had touched it before Cal touched it, then it would have been a TD. On a fair catch or when the receiving team does not touch it, then it would have been a touchback.

NoExtraPoint;572630 said:

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If a PC player had touched it before Cal touched it, then it would have been a TD. On a fair catch or when the receiving team does not touch it, then it would have been a touchback.

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So why is it on an onside kick, the kicking team can recover the ball without the receiving team touching the ball. Remember Auburn vs Utah State?
A punt or a field goal is a dead ball to the kicking team, but I have never heard of a kick-off being a dead ball if it goes into the end zone untouched. Can someone quote the college rule book section on this. CAL didn't dispute it, so I guess it wasn't live, but I want to see the proof.

Ahhh....now we know where you're from bar20....you're from missouri and I bet you grew up on a big farm, too!

Rule 6-1: touching ground on or behind goal line

Article 7: When a free kick Untouched by Team B [receiving] touches the ground on or behind Team b's goal line, the ball becomes dead and belongs to team b.

Starkey strikes again.

buster99;572594 said:

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Ball hits the ground in the endzone without being touched, it's a dead ball touchback

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I thought that was only if the ball did not bounce into the endzone.
But what the heck do I know.

Why would the receiving team, when they plan on NOT running it back, even get close to touching a ball as it heads to the end zone?

The players should be instructed to let the ball hit the turf and then there would be an automatic, risk free touchback....

Because the risk is probably about zero. If you can't pick up a ball in the end zone, you don't deserve to be playing at that level.