Can players advance a fumble in college football? Taking a closer look into the NCAA rule book

College football is one of the most watched sports in the United States. But the rules can still confuse even the most seasoned fans. This article explores whether a player can advance a fumble at this level.

Many fans have a query about fumbles and their recoveries. So can the defense fumble the ball after a pick and still pick it up for a pick-six? And can the offense pick up their fumble and run it to gain yards?

Here is all there is need to know about whether players can advance a fumble and the rules behind it.

Can you advance a fumble in college football?

A fumble can be advanced in college football but with certain conditions. It should be a legal fumble and not a forward pass. Most importantly, it can only be done on the first three downs as a fumbled ball on fourth down returns to the original spot if the offense recovers the fumble. And if the defense does, it is a turnover. The only player who can advance the ball in such a scenario is the player who carries the ball.

Illinois Iowa Football: Illinois offensive lineman Zy Crisler (72) recovers a fumble in the end zone in front of Iowa defensive lineman Logan Lee (85) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Iowa City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

The rules around fumbling in college football are similar to those in the NFL. No player can advance a fumble during a two-point conversion. And if a runner fumbles the ball on a carry, both the offense and defense can recover and move forward with the ball.

But if a player recovers a forward fumble, what are the yards he gains after that called?

Does advancing a fumble count as rushing yards?

When an offense goes to advance a fumble, the yards gained up until the point of the fumble will be counted as receiving yards in case of a catch and rushing yards in case of a runner. The yards gained after recovery will be counted for the player who advanced the ball.

If a quarterback throws the ball and the receiver runs to the five-yard line after the catch before fumbling, the receiver gets the credit for all the yards until the fumble. The rest of the yards get credited to the offensive player who recovered the fumble and took it home. The quarterback won't get the credit for the touchdown, but passing yards get counted.