FED ruling please -- Onside kick..

[johnnyg08]

Team K onsides a free kick--------the ball goes 10 yards in the air (it has never touched the ground) and is caught by a Team K player (No Team R player is in the vicinity) in the air 12 yards downfield i.e. at R's 48. Is this legal? Do they retain possession of the ball?

Please cite the rule, along with your interpretation...I am travelling for work this week and I don't have my FED rule books with me. Thanks a lot guys!!

[Jim D]

This is Kick Catching Interference by K. R can have K rekick after the penalty or can take an awarded Fair Catch at the spot. 6-5-6 While any free kick is in flight in or beyond the neutral zone to the receiver's goal line...K shall not touch the ball or R...nor obstruct R's path to the ball.

There is an exception for scrimmage kicks only if R is not in possition to catch the kick, but it does not apply to free kicks.

[bigjohn]

no, it must go ten yards and touch the ground!

[FeetBallRef]

Originally Posted by bigjohn

no, it must go ten yards and touch the ground!

BJ, JimD's response is correct, that is the definition of KCI.

Rule 6 Sec. 1 Art. 5... If any kicker recovers or catches a free kick, the ball becomes dead. It belongs to him unless it is kick-catching interference and R chooses an awarded fair catch or unless it is first touching. The kickers may recover the ball before it goes beyond R’s free-kick line if it is touched first by any receiver. Such touching in the neutral zone by R is ignored if it is caused by K pushing or blocking R into contact with the ball or if K muffs the ball into contact with R. Any kicking team member may recover a free kick if it has both touched the ground and goes beyond the plane of R’s free-kick line. The two requirements may occur in any order. If a free kick becomes dead inbounds between the goal lines while no player is in possession, or inbounds anywhere while opponents are in joint possession, the ball is awarded to R.

Rule 6 Sec. 5 Art. 6... While any free kick is in flight in or beyond the neutral zone to the receiver’s goal line or any scrimmage kick is in flight beyond the neutral zone to the receiver’s goal line, K shall not:
a.Touch the ball or R, unless blocked into the ball or R, or to ward off a blocker, or;
b.Obstruct R’s path to the ball.
This prohibition applies even when no fair-catch signal is given, but it does not apply after a free kick has been touched by a receiver, or after a scrimmage kick has been touched by a receiver who was clearly beyond the neutral zone at the time of touching.
EXCEPTION: K may catch, touch, muff or bat a scrimmage kick in flight beyond the neutral zone if no player of R is in position to catch the ball.