HS Ruling on first touching of free kick on sideline ...

[Zeke5]

R 25 is stradling the sideline when he is first to touch
a free kick. Is this a penalty on K? or is it just R's ball
1st and 10 at that spot?

[Middleman]

Originally posted by Zeke5

R 25 is stradling the sideline when he is first to touch
a free kick. Is this a penalty on K? or is it just R's ball
1st and 10 at that spot?

Zeke,

It could be either! (Federation rules, 4-3-1, 6-1-8)

If the ball crossed the sideline plane in flight, it will be a foul by K for kicking the ball out of bounds. R has a choice of putting the ball in play at the inbounds spot, or 25 yards beyond the previous spot, or having K rekick after a 5-yard stepoff from the previous spot.

If the ball DID NOT cross the plane of the sideline, it was the touching by R that caused the kick to become dead out of bounds, and R will put the ball in play at the inbounds spot.

The covering official must position himself on the sideline to make the determination whether the ball crossed the plane of the sideline or not.

My 1999 comic book shows this clearly on page 43 (sorry, I can't find 2000, haven't got 2001 yet). The rule changed slightly in 2000, making it a foul on K only if the kick went out of bounds "untouched by R," as opposed to "not last touched by R," but that change does not affect the above ruling answering your question.

Season's comin' up!

[Rick KY]

Rule 2-28-3 says a loose ball is out of bounds when it touches anything, including a player or game official, who is out of bounds. This rule seems to treat officials and players alike in this regard, and declares the ball is out of bounds. Since it cannot be OOB on the official, the player OOB would not be responsible for the ball being OOB either. I think this is a free kick infraction on K. I don't think this would be any different than if the R player was all the way out of bounds when he caught the kick.

[Middleman]

Well, now. You can quote a definition. Congratulations!

But can you read the casebook and grasp the whole concept of what the ruling might say? You obviously don't have the NFHS Football Rules - Simplified & Illustrated version (I called it the Comic Book version in my original post) or you would have seen the drawing on page 43 which clearly depicts exactly what I said.

Casebook play 6.1.8C (pay close attention to b & c): "R1 is running near a sideline as he attempts to catch a free kick in flight. R1 has: (a) both feet inbounds; or (b) one foot on the sideline, when he reaches through the plane of the sideline. The ball bounces off his hands and lands out of bounds. The ball was beyond the sideline plane when touched by R1; or (c) same as (b) except the ball is not beyond the sideline plane when touched.
Ruling: In (a), the ball is not out of bounds until it hits the ground there. Since R1 touched it last, the ball will be put in play at the inbounds spot. In (b), since R1 is out of bounds when the ball is touched, the kicker has caused the ball to be out of bounds as it was beyond the plane of the sideline when first touched by R1. In (c), R1 has caused the ball to be out of bounds."

If the ball doesn't break the plane of the sideline before it is touched by R, it is NOT a foul by K.

[Rick KY]

Middleman, your sarcasm is noted, but not appreciated. Of course I can read and quote anything written in any of the NF books. And if you read the case play you suggest you will see it is not the same play. Rather it is about a muffed kick which K attempts to recover. Similar indeed, but not the same. However there is one thing you overlooked in your comments. It is a foul on K if R does not touch the kick before it goes OOB. Nowhere have I ever read of the plane of the sideline having any significance in any ruling. To be OOB a player must touch OOB, or the ball must touch OOB. If the R player is already OOB when he touches the kick, he could not have touched it before it went OOB. Therefore I submit my original position that if R catches the kick with one foot OOB it is a free kick infraction on K.

[Rick KY]

Middleman, rule 6-1-8 says "A free kick shall not be kicked OOB between the goal lines untouched inbounds by R". If R is already OOB when he touches the kick this is a foul on K. Plane of sideline is not relevant to this ruling.

[Rick KY]

I have researched the case book and the comic book and found the ruling on this play. Indeed the ball is touched inbounds by R with one foot OOB, and the ruling is no foul on K. However I find this inconsistent with the definition of Out of Bounds in Rule 2. I also have never heard of any ruling related to the plane of the sideline other than this one. If there is a plane which is the boundary, then a receiver would not be able to reach across that plane to catch a pass, which we all know he can do. I am sending this one to our state commissioner for his comments, and will share his comment when I can.

[Theisey]

Rick,
your reading too much into this. This concept has been around for at least 18 years.
NFHS rule 4-3-1 implies there is a sideline plane on loose ball type plays. Couple that with when the ball is declared to be dead and you either have the kick that put the ball OOB or you have the receiver that put the ball OOB.
If the player put the ball OOB, then no foul on K, spot the ball at the foremost point of the ball, else apply the penalties for a free kick OOB using the spot where the ball crossed the sideline plane.

A pass or kick receiver who is inbounds can most certainly reach across the sideline plane and grab a ball. The ball is not blown dead because that receiver is not OOB, so neither is the ball.

I sure hope you commissioner doesn't rule any other way as he would be wrong.