Place Kicks 2-23-7
 

For place kicks can the place-kick holder hold the ball in a fixed position on his toe?

The rule book states that the "ball also may be held in position on the ground or on a kicking tee by a place-kick holder"...

A coach asked me this question yesterday playing under NFHS rules and I wanted to get the collective interpretation of this board whether it be for a kickoff, field goal or try...and if not allowed by rule what would be the penalty?

Not exactly what the rule says. 2-23-4 says "For a place kick, the ball must be controlled on the ground or on a legal kicking tee by a teammate. This says it must be controlled, EITHER on the ground OR on a legal kicking tee. The foot is definitely not a legal kicking tee. If they'd do this, you'd have an illegal kick, 15 yards from the spot of the kick. Remember illegal kicks are treated as fumbles.

Not likely you'll see this on a scrimmage place kick, although it is certainly possible. On a free kick, don't allow it and you won't have to flag it.

More possible on a FG or try as the crew might think he is going to just put it on the ground, and then there it is getting kicked off his foot. On a free kick, there is more time, but if both officials on the free kick lines are on their sidelines and the kid holding the ball puts it on his toe, you really cannot blow your whistle after the RFP has been blown to tell them not to do it. Not like on a free kick when you see 12 on the field for K or R and you will not let the RFP be blown without telling the offending team to recount their players cuz you are counting 12.

WHy not. I blow the whistle to deal with the kid who doesn't have his mouth piece in :rolleyes: and let the coach know that he can't do that. Why create more problems than we already have?

At the varsity level you will blow your whistle to tell a kid to get his mouthpiece in? I will yell at them to try to get them to, but if they do not hear me and are not going to get it done and the snap is imminent, we will have a foul. Lower level is one thing, varsity is another.

Are you kidding me? First, my point was I do not let the free kick start if I can prevent someone from fouling. For example, I don't let them start without eleven on the field. I make sure they line up onsides and I also make sure that they have their mouthpieces in and I don't let a kick kick off of the toe of another player. If I do that then, hopefully, they can play football.

If you are talking about on a free kick, I agree. I thought your mouthpiece discussion was about on a normal scrimmage play after the RFP has been blown.

Food for thought and discussion. Is this an illegal kick if the holder has the ball on his toe and a place kicker kicks the ball? Or is the holder down for having control of the ball with his knee on the ground and the kicker not allowed to legally kick the ball in this situation? Any thoughts?