illegal formation?
 

does illegal formation apply to K on the kickoff? what happened was team A huddled near the sideline and 10 players came onto the field and the 11th player stayed near the sideline, the ball was then kicked. is this illegal formation or does it only apply to A at the snap.

If you look in rule 7, it mentions that all players must be inside the 9 yard marks after the ready for play is blown and the snap. Since it specifically says snap, I take that to mean that on free kick plays all players don't have to come inside the 9 yard marks. There might be a case play or other interpretation floating around out there.

There is no requirement for K to be within the 9-yard marks after the RFP for a free kick. In practice, the RFP will not be given until K is on the field and on their side of the ball.

6-1-3 After the ball is marked ready for play and until it is kicked, no player, other than the kicker and the holder for a place kick may be beyond his free-kick line.

K was on the field before the ready for play and on their side of the ball, they were just huddled near the sidelines.

I still have no foul for illegal formation. If I'm responsible for the kicking team I'm not leaving the field until they either line up for the kick or huddle in the middle of the field.

Was the ball set on the tee? Were the players counted? Where were they huddled in relation to their restraining line? Now the big question - were they trying to deceive the receiving team in any way?

If they're just getting instructions from the coach I ask them to take the field. If the coach continues to delay I may have a foul for delay of game. Hard to say without being there.

It would if this were an game played under NCAA rules.

Yep, for the NCAA boys, they must be inside the numbers until the RFP and have at least 4 players on each side of the kicker.

In practice, if K does not promptly get into position following the one-minute intermission following a try, successful field goal or safety and prior to the succeeding free-kick, I will sound the ready. If they get the kick off within 25 seconds, all is well. If not, delay of game.

This is probably one of the least enforced rules in the NCAA code. Also, since all Team A members can be anywhere in bounds behind the ball and do virtually anything they want while being there, its virtually impossible to gain an advantage by trying some sort of a hideout play on a kickoff. With the NCAA requirement of 4 players on each side of the kicker (is fed the same??), even a rushed onside isn't a real advantage under this scenario.

I'd be interested if any NCAA code officials have ever flagged this? In my games, if we get the RFP within a reasonable period of time for the KO and there are 11 on each side, we are pretty happy.

REPLY: Texas Aggie...no, Fed is not the same. No requirement about the number of players on each side of the kicker.

Never and never would. It really has no purpose on a free kick.

I remember a game where after the first RFP, the ball is blown off the tee.
Now there is going to be a second RFP.. The wide team-A players asks "do we have to touch up again?", I said nah and yelled down to the wide team-B player and said to him, "there staying right here." No problem was the response.

The ball off the tee is the perfect example of why this rule is useless and ignored. I may send Adams a note about this.