When can a Free Kick can be recovered by K?
 

I'm curious if anyone has rule citations available for HS, NCAA, and NFL here.

My questions arise out of the apparent contradiction of 6.1.5A and the following sentence in 6-1-5.

NFHS 6-1-5 "...Any K player 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...."

NFHS 6.1.5A "A kickoff by K1 from K's 40 is muffed by R1 near his 20-yard line. The muff is caught by K2 at the 18 and he advances into R's end zone. RULING: It will be K's ball first and 10 from R's 18. K2 may catch or recover the muffed kick, but may not advance. The ball is dead when K gains possession..."
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In the case play, the ball never touched the ground.
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"NCAA Rule 6-1 Free Kick Recovery
ARTICLE 3. A Team A player may touch a free-kicked ball:
a. After it touches a Team B player (Exception: Rule 6-1-4).
b. After it breaks the plane of and remains beyond Team B's restraining line (Exception: Rule 6-4-1) ( A.R. 2-11-2-I).
c. After it touches any player, the ground, an official or anything beyond Team B's restraining line.
Thereafter, all players of Team A become eligible to touch, recover or catch the kick."

Does this read as though the word "or" is after a. and b.? If so, then it doesn't appear that the ball must touch the ground in NCAA rules.

Any help is appreciated.

I haven't compared them recently, but that last bit has been a longstanding difference between Fed and the other codes which AFAIK is still in effect. In NCAA & NFL, if no player of R is in position or has a reasonable chance to move to catch the ball, it's not interference if K touches the ball while it's still ungrounded and on R's side of their restraining line, but in Fed it is.

Come to think of it, it's interesting how on various kicks Fed & NCAA differ inconsistently on whether to treat R's restraining line, R's goal line, and the crossbar as a line or a plane:

R's line on free kicks re eligible touching by K: Fed line, NCAA plane
R's goal line on kicks in general to kill ball: Fed plane, NCAA line
R's goal on kicks scoring FG: Fed plane, NCAA line

Robert

Thank you, R.G.

Anyone else? I know there are some NCAA football officials on here. Someone give me something with a rule number - please?

Any high school officials that want to tackle the apparent contradiction (or my misunderstanding) of the two previously-cited sections of the NFHS rule/case? The ball does not touch the ground in the case play, so does the ball have to touch the ground in order for K to catch the kickoff?

(My books only go back to 2002, and that's the only case play that addresses the topic, that I can find.)

In the case play, the team-K member did not recover the free kick, he caught it. It is not kick catch interference because a team-R player muffed it (i.e. touched the free kick) into the air. You can only recover a ball that is on the ground.
There is no contradiction in my opinion.

FED 6.1.5 If any K player 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.

With respect to your case play, If K catches or recovers a free kick the ball will be his if he hasn’t committed kick-catching interference or first touching.

First touching occurs when K touches the ball before the ball crosses R’s free kick line. (FED 2.12.1) This is not relevant in your case play.

A recovery is the act of gaining possession of a loose ball after it strikes the ground. (FED 2.36.1) Also, not relevant in your case play.

A catch is the act of gaining possession of a loose ball which is in flight. (FED 2.4.1)

Rule 6.5.6 defines Kick Catching Interference as:
a. Touching the ball or R while the ball is in flight; or
b. Obstructing R’s path to the ball.

Back to the case play and the original rule:

If any K player recovers or catches a free kick, the ball becomes dead. It belongs to him unless it is kick-catching interference or unless it is first touching.

The kick was muffed by R behind his free kick line and caught by K. This is not first touching. This was not kick catching interference. K’s ball at the spot where he gained possession.

Thank you Theisey - I see what you're saying here, and I agree. Interesting. So there's no contradiction in the way the rule and case play are written, then. I knew I was confused.

Thank you for the response, WJP. So then, unless I'm missing something else, the only way the above underlined portions can happen, assuming the ball has traveled beyond R's free kick line, is if the kick is muffed by R and subsequently caught (in flight, obviously) by K. This is the only time K can catch a free kick (at least under Fed rules) and have it not be kick-catching interference. Correct?

So then for NCAA, NFL?
 

As R.G. hints to above, can K catch a free kick that has traveled beyond R's free kick line, if no receiver is in position to make a catch? (NCAA?) (NFL?)

REPLY: Federation...no; NCAA...yes; NFL...I don't know

NFL...Yes.

Thank you for the responses.