Opening Kickoff

[Indy_Stu]

All, thanks for the posts. I have been re-educated on the subject of officiating the free kick. I now agree that 6-5-6 indicates that K has committed Kick Catching Interference in the situation I provided. K cannot be the first to touch/catch a free kick in flight.

A scenario that I can envision that has K "catching" a free kick (the concept in 6-1-5 that misled me) and it belonging to him:
1) R has first muffed the catch of a free kick - - ball hits pads/arms/other and bounces back into the air
2) Opportunistic K then "catches" the still-airborne ball. He does so without committing KCI, and did not commit first touching
3) 1st & 10 for K - - lucky dog!

Thanks guys, rules discussions like these are great.