Stonum KO return to start the second half, could that have been a safety?
September 25th, 2010 at 8:03 PM ^
The ball has to cross the plane of the goal line. If the ball never left the endzone, then it's fine, IIRC.
September 25th, 2010 at 8:10 PM ^
If you catch the ball in the endzone, you can run out of the back and it's still a touchback. It is only considered a safety if the ball leaves the endzone and is subsequently downed back in the endzone.
You can legally catch the ball in the endzone, run around in the endzone, and then run out of the back of the endzone, and it's still a touchback.
September 25th, 2010 at 8:17 PM ^
The play you are referring to started the game, not the second half. And as was previously stated, for there to be a safety on a kickoff, possession has to be established out of the endzone (or the ball has to be brought out of the end zone) and then brought back into the end zone under the kick returners own doing for there to be a safety.