4th and 5. A lineman gets a piece of the ball as it's being punted. The ball ends up 10 yards past the line of scrimmage where it is smothered by a player on the kicking team. Who's ball is it? I said the receiving team. The other 3 guys said it's the kicking team, just like if the return man muffed the catch. Anyone sure?
In that situation it's a turnover on downs to the receiving team at the spot where the kicking team player "smothered" it.
Any kick from scrimmage by an offense (place kick, drop kick, punt) is a dead ball for the offense. The kicking team may never advance the ball, unless the receiving team takes actions to make it live, (see Leon Lett thanksgiving snow game in dallas) even if it is touched by the receiving team in a block attempt, and the ball still crosses the line of scrimmage. It's still dead for the offense, until the receiving team makes it live BEYOND scrimmage.
If a kick from scrimmage is blocked and remains BEHIND the line of scrimmage, that's different, it's a live ball for both teams, and the offense can still advance it, but if the kick is on fourth down, needs to advance beyond the first down marker to retain possession.
I can't remember the last time I saw a kick on anything but fourth down, except for clock winding down types of situations, but if a kick were to be attempted on first, second or third down, and it crosses the line of scrimmage, and the defense doesn't make it a live ball, the offense cannot advance it and turns it over on downs. IF it's blocked, and stays behind scrimmage, the offense can recover it, and retain possession for another down.
