# Question on an NFL rule **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 9, 2016, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-an-nfl-rule/742635 "2016-01-09T22:16:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2016, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-an-nfl-rule/742635/1 "2016-01-09T22:16:29Z")
I’ve thought about this a few times watching kickoffs. Ball is kicked deep into the endzone. The receiver when he puts his foot back to kneel down steps out of bounds. Safety or touchback? ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2016, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-an-nfl-rule/742635/2 "2016-01-09T22:24:10Z")
That’s a touchback Stepping out of bounds there is the same as kneeling ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2016, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-an-nfl-rule/742635/3 "2016-01-09T22:40:12Z")
Correct, only a Safety if the receiver establishes position in the field of play with possession of the ball and then retreats into the end zone. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2016, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-an-nfl-rule/742635/4 "2016-01-09T23:16:37Z")
Touchback. He was never in the field of play. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-an-nfl-rule/742635/5 "2016-01-10T03:48:01Z")
It’s also a safety if a ball carrier from scrimmage steps out of the back of the end zone, but that doesn’t apply to kickoffs. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-an-nfl-rule/742635/6 "2016-01-10T21:47:11Z")
> [@JSexton](#): > > It’s also a safety if a ball carrier from scrimmage steps out of the back of the end zone, but that doesn’t apply to kickoffs. It’s also a touchback if a defender intercepts a pass in the end zone and runs out of bounds (or falls to the ground in the end zone) before crossing the goal line. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-an-nfl-rule/742635/7 "2016-01-11T00:27:42Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > It’s also a touchback if a defender intercepts a pass in the end zone and runs out of bounds (or falls to the ground in the end zone) before crossing the goal line. True, and also if the interception begins out of the end zone but ball control is only established in the end zone whereupon the defender goes down or out of bounds, it’s still a touchback as control was never established in the field of play.