Free kick after a fair catch?

[LDUB]

Originally Posted by Theisey

Nah... this really doesn't make sense. I'm for a change that eliminates the option to free kick on anything but a dead-ball foul against either teamm

So if A choses to kick and there is a foul and the down is replayed then they must snap instead of kick?

[Theisey]

Originally Posted by LDUB

So if A choses to kick and there is a foul and the down is replayed then they must snap instead of kick?

I don't think I said that... I believe I said they could rekick if there was some sort of dead-ball foul, not if there was a live ball foul during the initial free kick.

But I implied that if you choose to snap... and there is a foul of any kind thereafter.. the free-kick option is null and void. That makes sense to me.

[LDUB]

Originally Posted by Theisey

But I implied that if you choose to snap... and there is a foul of any kind thereafter.. the free-kick option is null and void. That makes sense to me.

So if they kick and the down is repeated then they cannot chose to snap either?

[Theisey]

Originally Posted by LDUB

So if they kick and the down is repeated then they cannot chose to snap either?

That's what I would propose should I felt like submitting an just change.

Really though, just what realistic kind of live ball foul could happen on a free kick attempt for a field goal? I'm just not visualizing any that would result in this unique free kick being repeated. I have my doubts that team-K would even run down the field .

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by Theisey

Really though, just what realistic kind of live ball foul could happen on a free kick attempt for a field goal? I'm just not visualizing any that would result in this unique free kick being repeated. I have my doubts that team-K would even run down the field .

I could easily imagine fouls by R, because they happen frequently on kickoff returns. A free kick is likely to be taken near the edge of the kicker's range, perhaps very optimistically, and the kick might well not even reach the goal line and so result in a runback. A live ball foul by K is less likely but not out of the question, as for instance BBW by a player attempting to bowl under a return wedge.

[LDUB]

Originally Posted by Theisey

That's what I would propose should I felt like submitting an just change.

You ruined it. The change will never work. A is probably hoping to kick a long field goal. If they foul and are penalized 10 or 15 yards it is likely that their kicker will not have a chance at making it. You can't force them to kick in that situation.

There are many fouls which could happen. Blocks below the waist, illegal substitution or participation, roughing the kicker/holder, free kick out of bounds...

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by LDUB

You ruined it. The change will never work. A is probably hoping to kick a long field goal. If they foul and are penalized 10 or 15 yards it is likely that their kicker will not have a chance at making it. You can't force them to kick in that situation.

Why not? They're forced to snap in lots of long yardage situations, so what's the difference with forcing them to kick?

There are many fouls which could happen. Blocks below the waist, illegal substitution or participation, roughing the kicker/holder, free kick out of bounds...

That last one would be really bad aim if they're hoping to kick a long field goal, but I suppose it could happen if the kicker, realizing he needs to extend his range, really tries to kill the ball and shanks it badly. More likely to produce that, they've already been penalized once and are no longer trying for goal, and are trying to place the ball near a sideline.

[Theisey]

Originally Posted by LDUB

You ruined it. The change will never work. A is probably hoping to kick a long field goal. If they foul and are penalized 10 or 15 yards it is likely that their kicker will not have a chance at making it. You can't force them to kick in that situation.

There are many fouls which could happen. Blocks below the waist, illegal substitution or participation, roughing the kicker/holder, free kick out of bounds...

NO way.. every Utube video I've ever seen, the players are not even running down field, no one is blocking.. there all just standing around in amazement at what is happening. Illegal sub/participation.. again highly unlikely. The officials and teams take forever to line up, the officials will not even let the play go off without the requisite number of players out on the field. Excessive time wasted just getting everyone into position.

Free kick OOB.. Team-R's coach would never let team-K re-kick.. Why would they... Team-R now gets to keep the ball at one of two places.
I've anticipated every option I can think off before I said what I said in the post and nothing lights the bulb that says team-R would commit a foul on this play.. It would have to be one very stupid foul by Team-K on a successful kick that would result in an accepted foul and a re-kick. I can hear the sideline coaches now.. (NO Fouls!, don't hit anyone! etc(

It wouldn't bother me a bit if this free kick after a fair catch option was removed from the books. IMHO it should be removed.

[bisonpitcher]

I was on the chain gang for a HS game Friday, and we had a free kick near the end of the first half. 54 yards, plenty of distance, but just wide right (played on college uprights, probably good on HS). Also had a ton of measurements (including one where the white cap had to pull out the card). I haven't seen that in a long time.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by Theisey

It wouldn't bother me a bit if this free kick after a fair catch option was removed from the books. IMHO it should be removed.

Fed has used that reason -- plays so rare their administration is uncertain -- to abolish some other plays, so this change would just be going with that flow. NCAA & Canadian football each abolished it; of course that was more than a half century ago, and accompanied by the complete abolition of the fair catch in both, with its restoration in NCAA the next season -- so it's not exactly a timely trend.

Would you consider an opposite remedy -- some change to make the play less rare, so players and officials would be more familiar with it? Like suppose a goal by free kick counted more than 3 points? Or that they could move the mark and restraining lines up to 10 yards closer to R's goal?