Texans vs Eagles: The Punt

[rockHEAD]

OK... I like football, but I'm not all hip to the rules, etc...

Can someone explain the punt in the 2nd half, let me set it up...

Texans have the ball, it's 4th down, they punt. Punt goes downfield, the ball bounces into the endzone (or the eagles guy catches it before it goes into the endzone), the guy goes into the end zone, but then tosses it to another eagle who is at the 2 yard line, he runs into the endzone and passes it to a guy who stops on the 1 yard line... The Texans then get the ball on the one and of course have terrible field position.

My question is why wasn't the ball called down when the first guy ran into the endzone? How many times can they 'lateral' or pass the ball till it is down? What actually downs the ball on a 4th down punt, a fair catch call or someone actually catching it... I'm really confused by this play...

any help is appreciated.

thanks
rH

[Ric]

you have to come down, in the field of play, with the punt for it to be downed. so that was the reason fo the multiple laterals. so far as i could tell, no one ever went into the end zone with possession of the football.

[moestavern19]

I believe you can be in the endzone with the ball in the air if you didn't already touch in the end zone. you could jump at the 1 yard line into the end zone, lateral to another guy and it would be downed there.

You can try a search here to find out the rules - http://www.nfl.com/fans/rules/index.html

[rfrocket]

I think you have to down the ball and stop your momentum.
My only question is, If someone is standing on the 1/2 yard line facing forward with the ball and it breaks the plane of the goal up in the air in your hands(as opposed to on the ground), would that constitute a touchback?

Although they didn`t show a really close shot of it, on one of the backward laterals the ball almost assuredly crossed the goal in the air.

[rfrocket]

Woops, didn`t read the last reply in the thread thoroughly.