I am a varsity high school football coach in Californai with a strange question.

We will be playing a team this year who does something very odd and I want to make sure I'm clear on the rules.

This team does not punt in the traditional sense. Every time it's fourth down, they line up and kick a field goal. Doesn't matter if they're on their own five yard line. They have a center, six lineman, two wings, a holder and a kicker. They snap it, set it and the kid kicks it as far as he can.

So, my questions are:

1) Can they legally use a tee?
2) What is the roughing rule regarding holder and or kicker?
3) What is the status of the ball - I assume if we leave it alone, it's a dead ball, but can we try and return it?
4) If we don't touch it and it doesn't go into the end zone, shouldn't we get it where the ball was kicked from or is this an NFL only rule?

Thanks for your help

1 -- Yes, they can legally use a Tee.
2 -- Just as in any kicking situation. Careful hitting these two players, or there may be laundry on the field.
3 -- I'm not sure on this and don't have my books with me. Just shootin from the hip....nah, I'll leave this to someone else.
4 -- No, that's an NFL rule.

I think in No. 3, if you leave it alone and nobody goes after it, it will be blown dead at the spot and you take over there. And yes, you can return it, just like a punt.

FG used as a punt
 

3. Ball may be returned by B. I the ball enters the end zone it returns to the 20 Yard line

Re: FG used as a punt
 

Right.

Remember, a field goal kick is the same as a punt, the only difference is that it can score if it goes through the uprights.

Re: Re: FG used as a punt
 

This is what I thought, but I wasn't sure. Thanks for educating me.

REPLY: One other thing to remember. If their holder is seven or more yards back from the point of the snap, it's a "scrimmage kick formation." In that case, the snapper is protected from roughing as well--just like a punt.

I had a team on Sunday (youth ball) that thought this was a great idea as well. I think 3 out of the 4 times the ball rocketed into the heads of the linemen and ended up near or behind the line of scrimmage.

Does CA use Fed or NCAA rules? What would the diffences be?

CA uses Fed rules. Only TX & MA use NCAA as far as I know.

Had a V game two weeks ago. Same thing occurs.

Home attempts a FG from B's 45yd line. B puts on a block rush and doesn't send anybody back to field the kick in case it comes up short.

Kick lands on B's 10 yd line and B team celebrates the missed kick with their crowd. But the ball rolls slowly into the EZ. TOUCHBACK!!!! We cry in unison!!! Then spot the ball on the 20.

Here's comes B coach screaming onto the field about the ball being spotted at the 45! WH tells him this is Friday night not Sunday afternoon. B coach screams, "Well then why not just try a FG instead of punting all the time!?!?! You absolutely BROKE IT OFF IN THERE with that call Keith!!!"

He'd been HC for quite a few years too.

WM

As I've read this thread and become educated today, this has been my thought exactly.

Feel free to correct me on this, but it's not even a Sunday rule, as they (NFL) spot it where the kick was attempted not where it was snapped.

That's correct, as of a few years ago.

Missed field goal attempts untouched by R.

NFL - spot of the kick or at the 20 if the spot of the kick was inside the 20.
NCAA - previous spot or at the 20 if the previous spot was inside the 20.
NF - end of the kick or any spot of first touching or the 20 if the ball reaches the goal line.

where were ya mike
 

Mike
where were you at for this play??

Yep, this happens and few know the rules. I appreciate the coach coming to us 'experts' for our opinions! Everyone in the stadium, from the water boys, to the chain crew, to the fans and the p.a. guy will think the ball goes anywhere else besides the end of the kick if the ball rolls dead in the field of play. They look at us like we five guys in stripes are from Mars when we're marking that ball at the nine yard line. How can five guys be wrong when the collective opinion of the other 300-3000 people tells them something different?

Thank You
 

Thank you all for your help.

Everything is now quite clear.

It seems to me like a good idea to do this on fourth and long if you are in an area where your kicker has even a remote shot to make the FG. Chances are that on a miss it goes in the end zone, so you either get three points or a touchback. Pinning someone inside the 10 with a perfect punt is rare unless you have a stellar high school punter.

What I don't understand is the advantage of doing it every time. Lining up on your own 20 and doing this seems to be a poor idea unless the other team doesn't know that they can catch the ball and run with it.

First off, you have to have a good snap, a good catch, a good hold, good blocking and a good kick under pressure. Seems like a smaller margin for error than a punt.

Second, with everyone in tight, you can commit nine or even ten players to keeping that tight formation of blockers held in and you should have far more room to run on your return than you would with WRs gunning down on the punt team.

Perhaps they don't have anyone who can consistently snap it 14 yards.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Thanks again.

I think the important think here is that if K attempts a field goal, and it is 'downed' at the 1, R takes over 1/10 at the 1.

I think this adds some incentive for trying a long FG (of course if R is smart, they will have someone back there to return it).