What is a Forced Touch in college football?
You have 'illegal touching' on a player when a kick is touched
by the kicking team. The receiving team, regardless of the outcome
of the play, can choose to take the play at that spot.
There is also the concept of 'touching' when a receiving player
touches the ball on a kick. At that point, the kicking team can
recover the kick and maintain possession.
A "forced touch" is when that touch occurs because the opposing
player 'forces' an opponent to touch the ball. For example, if a
receiving player is being blocked by a kicking team player and the
kicking team player blocks the receiving team player into the ball,
the receiving team player is 'being forced to touch the ball by the
block.' In this instance, the kicking team cannot recover the ball
and maintain possession, because the touching of the ball by the
receiving team was a 'force touch.'