Nothing is more deflating than a goal-line fumble that goes out of bounds in the end zone and results in a touchback for your opponent. Any turnover shifts the momentum in an NFL game, but it’s a huge swing when the turnover also takes a potential touchdown off the board and improves the opposing team’s field position.
Let’s examine what the NFL rulebook says about a fumble into the end zone, why this rule is so polarizing, and whether the NFL will ever tweak it.
Understanding the NFL’s End Zone Touchback Rule
Here is what the NFL rule book says about a fumble in the opponent’s end zone: “If a ball is fumbled in the field of play and goes forward into the opponent’s end zone and over the end line or sideline, a touchback is awarded to the defensive team.”
Also, here is an explanation from the NFL’s video rulebook with examples from games:
A fumble is any act, other than a pass or kick, which results in a loss of player possession. When a fumble goes out of bounds in the end zone, there are specific conditions that apply to the call.
From the @NFL Video Rulebook: Fumbling in the Endzone ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/lzxgLK6RwI
— NFL Football Operations (@NFLFootballOps) October 10, 2023
This has often been described as one of the worst rules in all of sports. The main criticism of this rule is that it benefits the defensive team too much. Not only does the defensive team get possession of the football but it gets it at its own 20-yard line rather than at the spot of the fumble. That’s a huge reward for the defense, especially since one can argue they never actually possessed the ball if it just rolled out of bounds in the end zone.
Defenders of the touchback rule argue that a fumble in the end zone should be more punitive than a fumble anywhere else on the field. The end zone is special, so it makes sense to have different rules for a fumble in the opposing end zone.
During the Divisional Round of the 2023 NFL playoffs, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman fumbled the ball into the end zone against the Buffalo Bills, prompting a ton of conversation about the rule.
After review, Jordan Poyer knocks it out and it’s ruled a touchback. Huge stop for the Buffalo defense!
📺: #KCvsBUF on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/FR6a2VkD33 pic.twitter.com/OZ7E6qUfN8— NFL (@NFL) January 22, 2024
For years, people wondered if this rule would be reviewed once an end-zone fumble occurred during a big playoff game. However, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, the polarizing rule likely won’t change anytime soon.
“Asked whether there has been any formal discussion in recent years to change the rule, a competition committee source texted CBS Sports saying: ‘None.’ Another source indicated no formal discussions have been had about the rule in the last five years,” Jones wrote.
“At the heart of the issue, a source said, is that no one has been able to crystalize what an alternative would be. And if no one cares enough to offer an alternative to the rule, then there won’t be any change to the rule.”
In 2023, NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent said that the rule would be reviewed. However, the fact that the competition committee never had formal discussions about a rule change indicates that the review didn’t get very far.
It’s worth noting that the USFL handled a fumble out of the end zone very differently. Instead of resulting in a turnover, the team that fumbled the ball retained possession, and the ball was placed at the spot of the fumble, though this rule was not retained when the USFL and XFL merged to form the UFL, instead opting for the traditional approach.
Perhaps the NFL will adopt something similar to the USFL’s format in the future, but it sounds like the league’s owners aren’t in any rush to make a change.