Clearly one of those strange things the rules dont handle very well.. A bunch of discussions on it.. and it you go look at forums discussions over the years pretty much all the refs have decided the punter has lost the protection on the play.. I dont think had no penalty been called anyone would have complained, but with a penalty everyone but Kentucky seems upset.
The whole term of tackle box is something the rules need to get a better grip on.. No different than a QB running 40 yds back and throwing, and getting hit and saying he has stayed inside the box.. Lets define the box as the area you start in, not something 90 yds backwards, Would that be a crime?
But even so once you snap a ball 40 yds over a punters head he becomes a runner when he picks it up.. No way has he clearly established as a kicker to anyone on the field.
By this rule if you snapped it over a kickers head in the endzone and he tries to punt it punt the back and you tackle him its a roughing call..
The whole term of tackle box is something the rules need to get a better grip on.. No different than a QB running 40 yds back and throwing, and getting hit and saying he has stayed inside the box.. Lets define the box as the area you start in, not something 90 yds backwards, Would that be a crime?
But even so once you snap a ball 40 yds over a punters head he becomes a runner when he picks it up.. No way has he clearly established as a kicker to anyone on the field.
By this rule if you snapped it over a kickers head in the endzone and he tries to punt it punt the back and you tackle him its a roughing call..