Rule question

[Cardinals54]

So I just watched the duffus Northwestern punt returner fair catch a punt on his own 3. Something that has never occurred to me... if a punt returner would be goofy enough to signal for and catch a punt in his own end zone, is the call a touchback or a safety?? I'm not sure it's ever occurred in the history of football. Any refs in the crowd today??? thx!

 

[uihawk82]

It would be a touchback, no different than recovering a fumble or intercepting a pass in your own endzone. As long as you dont take the ball out of the endzone into the field of play then retreat back into the endzone and get tackled, which then would be a safety.