By the rules explained there, it's essentially an onside kick recovered in the end zone.
"Haji-Sheikh kicked the opening kickoff to A.J. Jones of the Rams, who allowed the ball to bounce next to him. Jones thought the ball was going to bounce out of the end zone for a touchback, but instead it bounced straight up in the air. Phil McConkey of the Giant raced downfield and recovered the ball in the end zone.
11. What is the correct call?
Once a kickoff travels 10 yards, either team is allowed to recover the ball and get possession. Because the recovery is in the end zone, the Giants are awarded the touchdown. . . .
Compare this to a kickoff on Oct. 22, 1990. . . . Barry Foster was of the Pittsburgh Steelers was deep to receive the kickoff from 49ers kicker Mike Cofer. The ball bounced inside the 10-yard line, and Foster did not make an attempt to recover the ball. Mike Wilson of the 49er recovered at the 5-yard line.
12. Can Wilson score a touchdown?
On all kicking plays, the kicking team is able to advance and recover only if the receiving team has actually possessed the ball. If a kickoff has traveled 10 yards (or if it is touched but not possessed by the receiving team), it can be recovered by either team, but it is a dead ball on the recovery by the kicking team. . . .
Okay, like the Bills, I may be having a brain-freeze of my own. In the Bills' case, the Bills kicking team
never actually possessed the ball (they didn't even touch it). They simply let it bounce into the end zone. So why were the Jets allowed the touchdown?
Conversely, in the Wilson example cited in the rules guide, my question is: given what the rules say, why didn't Wilson allow the ball to bounce into the end zone and only then jump on it for a touchdown? So many times, when the receiving team lets the balls bounce, I see the kicking team
try actively to bat the ball away from the end zone so as to hand the receiving team awful field position. If you're the kicking team, why bat the ball away from the end zone - why not let it enter the end zone and the jump on it for a touchdown?
Forgive the tortured logic of my post. But the examples given in the guide confuse rather than enlighten me.
Edit: Fix incompetent use of quotes. And brain farts.