You’re kidding, right?

No, I’m not kidding; on 4th down, the defensive player should bat the ball down for an incompletion, so the possession turns over on downs at the previous spot, rather than closer to your own goal. The only exceptions might be if you have an obvious chance for an unimpeded return or you are in the backfield. (Do I need to draw a diagram here?)

No diagram needed. “The only exceptions” pretty much summed up my point by conceding there are any. Other exceptions might apply if you’re in a position where you can’t bat the ball down without running a risk of either (1) allowing a member of the other team to catch it or (2) being perceived by the ref as having caught the ball and fumbled.

I’d argue it’s in one’s best interest, depending on field position, to bat it down on 3rd down, as well.

WARNING: High School football story upcoming

We had forced a team into a 3rd and very long. They throw it up; our DB intercepts it at about our 15; and, realizing what he’d done, drops it immediately.

It’s now 4th down, they punt from their own 45; it gets blocked (as many a high school punt does) and, now, our ball on their 22.

We score and come away with a very rare W.

Spoken like a man who could have played D3 ball at Millsaps, but passed it up for the glory of an undergrad political science major at Ole Miss. ☺

Mind you, on this Ole Miss team you could be starting…