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There are very few, "NEVER" or "ALWAYS" situations we can rely on. One of them is that a kick touching R's goal line is ALWAYS a Touchback. (Yes, a successful FG is not a touchback, but consider that different because it's a scoring play and life will be much simpler).
One of the most important definitions in Rule 2 is NF: 2.24.2 which advises us that in the whole world only 2 very direct and clear circumstances causes a kick to end. Someone has to POSSESS (NF: 2.34.1) the kick, or the ball has to become dead, while not in player possession. Forget about "Force" or "At rest or nearly at rest", "Touching" or "Muffing", by either team as many times, in any direction, by either team is NOT possession and DOES NOT end a kick.
A (legal) kick is a kick (covered by all the special rules associated with kicking) until it stops being a kick, and ONLY the above two things can stop it from being a kick.
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