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Old Thu May 16, 2002, 08:48pm
Ed Hickland Ed Hickland is offline
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Join Date: Aug 1999
Posts: 1,130
Quote:
Originally posted by James Neil
Defiantly a must see play, but here's my take on this . A player doesn't become a kicker until he's kicked the ball, and his protection begins then . So running into or roughing the kicker can only happen after the balls been kicked .It would seem to me that the deciding factor here would be if the kick had been made at the time of the contact .
Not exactly. A kicker's protection begins when it is apparent he is going to kick the ball and ends when he has regained his balance following the kick or it becomes uncertain he is not going to kick the ball. Assuming the kicker lines up in scrimmage kick formation gives him the initial protection.

As to the play mentioned in the original posting, the fact that the player charged into the kicker is an indication he is not attempting to block the kick. It becomes immaterial the kick is blocked after the player has charged the kicker. Review Case Book 9.4.4 Comment and one phrase stands out "Touching the kicked ball is, in itself, not license to charge the kicker."

Throw the flag.

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