roughing the kicker?

[mark b]

In tonight's high school game, the snap went over the punter's head...he chased it down and while under pressure from the defense and running toward the sideline, punted it down the field. (Actually not a bad kick 35 yards, in the rain and on the run.) After the kick he was hit. To be honest, I am going to have to watch the replay on TV to see exactly how the hit took place because I was watching the punt. But the ref threw a flag and gave a signal for roughing the kicker! (I might have understood if it was for a late hit or unsportsmanlike conduct but I thought the punter would be considered a running back under those circumstances.) I am a high school official in other sports but was just a confused (and possibly misinformed)spectator at this game.

[yankeesfan]

hard to say. did the defender have time to avoid contact? it is impossible to have unsportmanlike conduct on this play, the only call if anything had to be roughing the kicker. unsportsmanlike conduct is a non-contact foul.

[iceman70]

The fact that the punter kicked the ball makes him a kicker (he doesn't lose that designation because he ran with the ball first). If the defender was closing in to make a tackle and the punter suddenly kicked the ball, then leeway should be given since it wasn't clear that he was going to kick. Hope that made sense.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by mark b

In tonight's high school game, the snap went over the punter's head...he chased it down and while under pressure from the defense and running toward the sideline, punted it down the field. (Actually not a bad kick 35 yards, in the rain and on the run.) After the kick he was hit. To be honest, I am going to have to watch the replay on TV to see exactly how the hit took place because I was watching the punt. But the ref threw a flag and gave a signal for roughing the kicker! (I might have understood if it was for a late hit or unsportsmanlike conduct but I thought the punter would be considered a running back under those circumstances.) I am a high school official in other sports but was just a confused (and possibly misinformed)spectator at this game.

In this case, it does sound like the player is not protected when he kicks the ball. He has not assumed a normal kicking position, therefore his punting protections are not applicable. No flag for RTK.

[Smiley]

Please be aware that the Jugggling Rereree's response is specific to Canadian football. There is no such requirement for a "normal kicking position" in NFHS football.

[Texas Aggie]

The NCAA rule doesn't require a "normal position" either, but it does require that it be obvious a scrimmage kick be made. I guess if you have a defender flying in for a tackle and a very quick kick, you might have a judgement call, but the rule also states that the "kicker and holder must be protected from injury." That tells me the committee wants non-incidental contact called unless there's a good and specific reason not to call it.

[sigmazero13]

I agree with yankeesfan, iceman70, and Smiley. In NFHS, a kicker is defined solely by whether or not he made a legal kick. IE, if he intentially (and LEGALLY) kicks the ball, he is a kicker, and is afforded protection, regardless of what happens before then.

However, the rules DO allow for an exception if it was not "reasonably certain that a kick would be made". Thus, if the ball is dropped, snapped over his head, etc, the referee should consider whether the defense could have known a kick was going to be made, and rule accordingly.

I've actually had this happen to me a few times, and I've thrown the flag a few times, because in my judgment, the kicker started making his motion to kick reasonably before the defense "got there", the kick was made, and then after that, the kicker was clobbered. In my opinion, the defense DID have the opportunity to tell that he was going to kick, and should have played it as such. Usually, when I've flagged the defense, it's partly caused because the defensive player who nails him wasn't even watching - it's like they assume "oh, it's dropped, he's fair game now, so I'll just charge him."

It's often a judgment call as to whether the defense could reasonably know it was going to be kicked, but the kicker does not lose his protection just because of a bad snap or a short run first.

My only issue with this particular rule is that it's not called consistently; I think even among some officials, the realization that the kicker still gets protection isn't there, as when I do call it, I always get the obligatory comment from the coach "Well, in our last game, our kicker got nailed and it didn't get called". (How often this is TRUE is another story, though).