In addition, in the case of the fumbled ball that is touched by a player that is out of bounds, the ball remains 'live' until the ball goes out of bounds or is possessed by the player out of bounds. In such case, the ball is then spotted at that point on the field, and not returned to the previous spot or the 35 or something. Once a player leaves the playing field he is not able to participate in the play and doing so would be a penalty on him. Also, if same player steps out of bounds and then reaches out and trips a player on the field, that also would be a penalty I believe. Whether the rules is technically correctly applied, it certainly makes no sense. If the same player had caught the ball in the air and then landed out of bounds, the spot would be at that point as he took it out of bounds. I believe that would be the ruling.
The penalty you are questioning is the same penalty if the kicking team kicked the ball out of bounds without anyone touching it. It's not a loop hole, at all. The player touching the ball while OOB makes the kick OOB, therefore it gets the same penalty of kicking the ball OOB without anyone touching it. I don't get why it should be treated differently.
Again, the player touching it from OOB makes the ball OOB, which then is treated as the ball kicking it OOB. If a fumble doesn't touch the sideline, but is touched by a player who is OOB, the fumble is declared OOB. It's the exact same situation.
Dude sorry your not understanding my logic - I agree with you that the rules are being followed. However as stated the kicking team did nothing incorrect. In your fumble case the team with the ball made a mistake in coughing it up - the defense also made a mistake by not gaining control before being out of bounds so net result is possession stays the same. in the discussed situation the kicking team made no mistake the receiving team made a play with in the rules and the kicking team is penalized. those two situations are not similar or equal.
The kicking team is committing a penalty by kicking the ball out of bounds. The ball is declared out of bounds when touched by a player on or outside the sideline. The receiving team isn't "forcing" the penalty, the kicking team is receiving a justified penalty for kicking the ball out of bounds. Any time the ball is touched by a player out of bounds, the ball is considered out of bounds. The same rule would apply if the ball were touched by a player on the kicking team if the player touched the ball while on the sideline.
The kicking team has kicked it out of bounds when the ball is touched by a player who is standing out of bounds. The ball could be touched by a player from the receiving team or the kicking team, but if the ball is touched by someone out of bounds, the kick is declared out of bounds.
based on the rule yes - in reality no
The rules of golf and football are completely different. The rules of golf have no relevancy to this discussion.
It could be the receiving team or the kicking team touching the ball while a player is OOB and it makes the kick illegal. If there were a kickoff which were bouncing at the receiving team's 25 yard line, without any team establishing possession, and the ball is touched by anyone (regardless of team) who is out of bounds, the ball is declared out of bounds. If the ball placement is worse than the receiving team's 35-yard line, the receiving team gets the ball at the 35-yard line due to the penalty assessed against the kicking team.
I have told you already that I agree that it is a rule and if you follow the rules it is a penalty - you are RIGHT. The golf example and the kickoff are referring to "reality" of where the ball is "physically" positioned in regards to the OB line. The point being made is it is Obvious that it should be a rule that has a Clause. The rules of golf have 34 simple rules and then there is another book related to decisions on the rules of golf that are about 200 pages. This is an example of a similar situation - create a clause that ends this result and college football becomes a better game.
How would you apply this "clause"? Where would you spot the ball if touched by a receiving player out of bounds? You can't treat it like a punt going out of bounds because a punt is not a free kick like a kick off is. A kickoff is a unique play, but is still grounded by simple rules of in-bounds and out of bounds.