What exactly is the rule for a safety?

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

If no one had touched the ball before it went out of the EZ (after Troy batted it away) would that have still been a safety "by rule"?
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OK, I did some research: [url="http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/safety2"]http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/safety2[/url]

Digest of Rules Main
Safety

The important factor in a safety is impetus. Two points are scored for the opposing team when the ball is dead on or behind a team’s own goal line if the impetus came from a player on that team.

Examples of Safety:

(a) Blocked punt goes out of kicking team’s end zone. Impetus was provided by punting team. The block only changes direction of ball, not impetus.

(b) Ball carrier retreats from field of play into his own end zone and is downed. Ball carrier provides impetus.

(c) Offensive team commits a foul and spot of enforcement is behind its own goal line.

(d) Player on receiving team muffs punt and, trying to get ball, forces or illegally kicks (creating new impetus) it into end zone where it goes out of the end zone or is recovered by a member of the receiving team in the end zone.

Examples of Non-Safety:

(a) Player intercepts a pass with both feet inbounds in the field of play and his momentum carries him into his own end zone. Ball is put in play at spot of interception.

(b) Player intercepts a pass in his own end zone and is downed in the end zone, even after recovering in the end zone. Impetus came from passing team, not from defense. (Touchback)

(c) Player passes from behind his own goal line. Opponent bats down ball in end zone. (Incomplete pass)

You know, it seems to me that the "impetus" came from Troy, NOT from Patriots* ... and so there is an argument to be made, based on the above, that it WASN'T a safety.

Anyone have any thoughts?

[papillon]

If no one had touched the ball before it went out of the EZ (after Troy batted it away) would that have still been a safety "by rule"?
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.
.
.
.
.
.

OK, I did some research: [url="http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/safety2"]http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/safety2[/url]

Digest of Rules Main
Safety

The important factor in a safety is impetus. Two points are scored for the opposing team when the ball is dead on or behind a team’s own goal line if the impetus came from a player on that team.

Examples of Safety:

(a) Blocked punt goes out of kicking team’s end zone. Impetus was provided by punting team. The block only changes direction of ball, not impetus.

(b) Ball carrier retreats from field of play into his own end zone and is downed. Ball carrier provides impetus.

(c) Offensive team commits a foul and spot of enforcement is behind its own goal line.

(d) Player on receiving team muffs punt and, trying to get ball, forces or illegally kicks (creating new impetus) it into end zone where it goes out of the end zone or is recovered by a member of the receiving team in the end zone.

Examples of Non-Safety:

(a) Player intercepts a pass with both feet inbounds in the field of play and his momentum carries him into his own end zone. Ball is put in play at spot of interception.

(b) Player intercepts a pass in his own end zone and is downed in the end zone, even after recovering in the end zone. Impetus came from passing team, not from defense. (Touchback)

(c) Player passes from behind his own goal line. Opponent bats down ball in end zone. (Incomplete pass)

You know, it seems to me that the "impetus" came from Troy, NOT from Patriots* ... and so there is an argument to be made, based on the above, that it WASN'T a safety.

Anyone have any thoughts?

I was always under the impression since the Dave Casper play back in the dark ages (70s) when he purposely continued kicking and moving a ball forward until he finally fell on it in the end zone for a TD that purposely hitting a ball to move it forward was a penalty or something. I guess in the mayhem that no one realized that Troy purposely hit it forward.

I'm not sure what would have happened had the refs realized what he did.

Pappy

[hawaiiansteel]

I'm not sure what would have happened had the refs realized what he did.

Pappy

Deliberately batting or punching a loose ball is a 10 yard penalty from the spot where it was hit from, therefore it would not have been ruled a safety.

we got away with that one...

[papillon]

I'm not sure what would have happened had the refs realized what he did.

Pappy

Deliberately batting or punching a loose ball is a 10 yard penalty from the spot where it was hit from, therefore it would not have been ruled a safety.

we got away with that one...

So, had the ball stayed in play and recovered by the Steelers, the turnover would have been taken away and New England given the ball back? Or, would we have retained possession and then been assessed the 10 yards?

Pappy

[JTP53609]

another one of those gray rules.....I am confused by it too....

why does troy always have a weird play at the end of the game at least once a year, remember that home game against S.D. 2 years ago, I think he did something weird on the last play of the game and scored a TD and the refs overturned it and took the points off the board...

[Pahn711]

I didn't understand what would have happened if the replay was determined to have not been a safety....completely baffled by that one.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

Funny thing is, the play was reviewed upstairs, and it was clear as day what Troy did on the replay. Are the replay guys just sucking on whip cream canisters up there, or is there something we're all missing here?

[Pahn711]

Funny thing is, the play was reviewed upstairs, and it was clear as day what Troy did on the replay. Are the replay guys just sucking on whip cream canisters up there, or is there something we're all missing here?

I actually don't think it was obvious that he intentionally knocked the ball away.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

Funny thing is, the play was reviewed upstairs, and it was clear as day what Troy did on the replay. Are the replay guys just sucking on whip cream canisters up there, or is there something we're all missing here?

I actually don't think it was obvious that he intentionally knocked the ball away.

Well, maybe so, but it was pretty obvious to a bunch of folks, like on the radio, and also go to NFL.com replay of the game, one guy said, "Heads up play by Troy, batting that ball away", then the other announcer said, "Yeah, but that's illegal".

Gotta wonder what they were actually watching up there. Maybe some Gronkowski clips on x-video.com!

[NorCal-Steeler]

i always thought it was the offense cant advance the balldont know if there any rules about hitting a loose ball on def