Ohio H.S. onside kick rule

[troydonn]

Something is driving me crazy for which I have to find the answer. I understand that a kickoff (1)must travel ten yards for the kicking to recover it (2)the receiving team can recover the ball before the ten yards (3) a kick can be fair caught by the receing team.

This is the problem. IF a kickoff can be fair caught then why is it that on every kick that goes ten yards you have the kicking team banging into the receivers with no penalty. Now tell me why? If the ball can be fair caught that must mean that the receivers must be allowed to catch the ball. Is it because the kick can hit the ground first; although it doesn't seem to make a difference.

[l3will]

They can only fair catch the ball if the kick has not touched the ground and if they have given the fair catch signal. Thus, most onsides kicks are bounced...

However, if a free kick is in flight (has not touched the ground)...
6-5-6 .. While any free kick is in flight in or beyond the neutral zone to the receiver's goal line or any scrimmage kick is in flight beyond the neutral zone to the receiver's goal line, K shall not touch the ball or R, unless blocked into the ball or R or to ward off a blocker, nor obstruct R's path to the ball. This prohibition applies even when no fair-catch signal is given, but it does not apply after a free kick has been touched by a receiver, or after a scrimmage kick has been touched by a receiver who was clearly beyond the neutral zone at the time of touching.
EXCEPTION: K may catch, touch, muff or bat a scrimmage kick in flight beyond the neutral zone if no player of R is in position to catch the ball.

... so K cannot block R or interfere with R if he is attempting to catch a free kick that has not touched the ground (in flight). If they do, it is kick-catching interference...

The key is the kick either being touched by R or touching the ground.