We had a situation where a defensive player made contact with the offensive player in the offensive endzone, resulting in an uncontested foul being called. It was not a strip, just a contact foul.

My captain and I were of the opinion that the offensive team takes possession of the disc at the endzone line. The defensive team's captain felt that the foul resulted in an automatic point.

I believe the only foul that results in an automatic point is a 'strip', as the offensive team already had possession of the disc for the point prior to the 'strip' occurring. A contact foul does not result in a point as there would be no guarantee that the offensive player would actually catch the disc had the foul not occurred.

We looked in the rules book, but could not find the ruling on this situation. Please help.

Kelvin

Short answer: it is only a point if the receiver had control of the disc, is in the endzone (or airborne and would have landed in the endzone), and the foul then causes them to lose control of the disc (or land out of the endzone in the case of a "force-out" foul). And then only if it is uncontested.

If the foul prevents them from catching the disc at all (they never had control but felt they would have absent the foul), then if uncontested they get the disc but it is put into play at the goal line (no goal).

Contested foul, either case - back to thrower.

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As for the specific rules:
For the case where it is a goal that is covered here:
XI.Scoring
A.A goal is scored when an in-bounds player catches any legal pass in the end zone of attack, and retains possession of the disc throughout all ground contact related to the catch.
1.To be considered in the end zone after gaining possession of the disc in accordance with II.O.2 and XV.E, the player's first point of ground contact must be completely in the end zone.
2.When an in-bounds player in possession of the disc whose first ground contact will be completely within the end zone loses possession of the disc due to an uncontested foul, or lands out of the end zone due to an uncontested force-out foul (XVI.H.3.b.4), that player is awarded a goal.

And the other case (uncontested foul where the receiver never had posession), here:
X.End Zone Possession
...
B.If a team gains or retains possession in the end zone that they are attacking other than by scoring a goal in accordance with rule XI, the player in possession must carry the disc directly to, and put it into play at, the spot on the goal line closest to where possession was gained.

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Last a clarifying note: the rules no longer make any distinction between a strip (disc itself knocked out by direct contact) and any other type of foul; the relevant point is just that the receiver had the disc in possession before contact by the defender caused them to lose possession.

Post edited by: jdrury, at: 2010/07/03 01:34

Thanks Josh! Much appreciated.