On Side Kick

[Bob M.]

REPLY: W&S...From the way I read both the original situation and the one that you proposed, the kick had already hit the ground so 'catching' it is no longer possible. In the situation you proposed, I thought you meant the the R player 'caught' the team K player as opposed to catching the ball. Did I read that incorrectly?

[Edited by Bob M. on Aug 11th, 2005 at 02:27 PM]

[WhistlesAndStripes]

Originally posted by Bob M.
REPLY: W&S...From the way I read both the original situation and the one that you proposed, the kick had already hit the ground so 'catching' it is no longer possible. In the situation you proposed, I thought you meant the the R player 'caught' the team K player as opposed to catching the ball. Did I read that incorrectly?

[Edited by Bob M. on Aug 11th, 2005 at 02:27 PM]

Yes, I was saying that the R player caught the K player, and carried him out of bounds.

[kdf5]

Originally posted by Whistles & Stripes
OK, so if he gets pushed out at the sideline, it's free kick OOB. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that K1 leaps into the air about 5 yards inbounds from the sideline. R1 catches K1 before he touches the ground and carries him out of bounds. Whaddyagot?

I still go with theisey and Bob M. and the definition of recovery. The only way he recovers the ball is if he comes down inbounds and there's no allowance in the rule for being carried or pushed out. There's no forward progress because he's not in possession. He has to contact the ground. I say you still have a free kick OOB.

[The Roamin' Umpire]

Originally posted by Bob M.
REPLY: However...4-2-2a refers to a "runner" which by definition is a player "in possession" of a live ball. "Possession" requires that he is handed the ball or he has "caught" or "recovered" it. "Recovery" requires that he first contact the ground inbounds. There is no 'exception' which allows you to rule a recovery because an opponent's contact stopped his forward progress like there is with a "catch." Therefore, he has not "recovered" the ball; he's not in "possession" of a live ball; he's not a "runner" and 4-2-2a can't apply. I believe that technically you still have a free kick OOB. I don't necessarily like it, but I think that would be the correct ruling.

Gah! This is what I get for taking any word in the book for granted, even a supposedly obvious one like "runner."

But... *looks crafty* I could (but probably shouldn't) argue that the guy with the ball in midair is, in some way, "simulating possession of a live ball" which makes him a runner. So forward progress works.

Now, I know that this is certainly not the intent of the "simulating" phrase in 2-30-13. But flagging this as a free kick OOB when the guy is literally carried 5 yards to the sideline just doesn't sit right. Of course, it'd never happen anyway. But it'd be nice if there were a term in the rule book for a player who has the ball, but has not established possession yet.