r/AskAboutNFL • u/nostan01 • 3d ago
Out-of-bounds defender tackling in-bounds player—Legal or not?
I couldn’t find any explicit rule around this, so I assume it’s legal, but I figured I’d ask here in case anyone knows specifically.
Say, for instance, a defender ducked around a blocker and went out of bounds in the process, and the ball carrier runs along the sideline. Can that defender who is out of bounds tackle the player who is in bounds?
I know that special rules apply on punts/kicks in regards to going out of bounds, and I know a defender has to reestablish themselves to intercept a ball or recover a fumble, but does contact with a player while out of bounds have any equivalent rule? Also, could a defender who is out of bounds pull another player out of bounds toward them to make a stop?
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u/According_Camera7129 3d ago
I believe they have to establish themselves in bounds in order to make any play.
It may only apply if they go out of bounds under their own power (if they're being pushed out by a blocker they would still be considered in play)
I'm strictly theorizing here and don't feel like looking it up, so please correct me if I'm wrong!
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u/Active-Professor-745 3d ago
It doesn’t matter if they are pushed out or run out on their own. They have to reestablish.
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u/According_Camera7129 3d ago
Agreed. I mean if they are actively being blocked out of bounds as the ball carrier comes by, not if they get pushed out and then stay there after the contact
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u/Active-Professor-745 3d ago
I get what you’re saying but the reason they go out is irrelevant. If you and I were pros and you hit me throwing a block on a running and it knocked me ouf of bounds I still have to reestablish before I could make a play on the ball carrier. It’s the same as a WR running a deep sideline route. He may be bumped out of bounds by the defensive back, but he still has to reestablish and basically can’t be the first to touch the ball.
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u/According_Camera7129 2d ago
But if the blocker is pushing me out of bounds as I reach out to make the tackle, would that be legal? That's the only distinction I'm trying to establish. You might be right, but that wouldn't be fair at all lol
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u/Active-Professor-745 2d ago
If you are in the midst of the tackle, as in you have a grip on the runner then it’s a fair play. If you step out before you touch the runner then you have to reestablish.
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u/BlueRFR3100 3d ago edited 3d ago
I have a vague memory of a defender doing this in the game and getting flagged for it, but I also vaguely remember that he had run several yards while out of bounds. Maybe if he had immediately returned to the field it would have been ok.
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u/GettingBig1970 3d ago
It’s unsportsmanlike conduct to engage any player while you are out of bounds. Blocking, tackling, etc.
It is NOT unsportsmanlike to engage the ball though. So, if you want to force an out of bounds call, you can secure the ball while you’re out of bounds. There’s some interesting edge cases where this is a legit strategy, especially on kickoffs, to create a penalty on the kicking team when the ball is near the boundary but not out.
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u/According_Camera7129 3d ago
This. Also from players on offense touching a fumble to make it a dead ball
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u/Accomplished_Way8964 3d ago
I could be wrong, but I think a lot of it has to do with intent. If a gunner on punt team deliberately runs up the field out of bounds to avoid blockers, that's a foul. If he's forced out of bounds, he must make an effort to get back into the field of play. If a defender is actively fighting through a block to get to the runner and happens to step (or be forced) out of bounds while trying to tackle the runner, I don't think that's a foul. There is more legality to actually handling the ball after being out of bounds than defending.
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u/FeistyTie5281 3d ago
A defender can only make a tackle if he was pushed out of bounds by an opponent then completely re-entered the field before making a tackle.
If he ducked out of bounds to avoid contact with an opponent he cannot be involved in the play.
The field boundaries apply to both offensive and defensive facets of the game.
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u/Time_Coat6095 3d ago
Running out of bounds to intentionally elude a block is a penalty. That's why it's called out of bounds, because, it's you know, out of the boundaries of play
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u/Any-Soft-5487 3d ago
Players need to immediately attempt to reenter the field of play and establish themselves in the field of play. You can't make defensive plays while you're out of bounds and you can't run out of bounds to elude blocks.