Kicking Team Advancing Free Kick

[LDUB]

Originally Posted by Kajun Ref N Texas

Can the kicking team advance a recovered free kick - whether that kick is:
4. fumbled by the receiving team

A kick cannot be fumbled. Once the B player gets possession the kick is ended and it it now a running play.

6-1-3
Touching and Recovery of a Free Kick
ARTICLE 3. a. No Team A player may touch a free-kicked ball until after:
1. It touches a Team B player (Exception: Rules 6-1-4 and 6-5-1-b);
2. It breaks the plane of and remains beyond Team B’s restraining line
(Exception: Rule 6-4-1) (A.R. 2-11-5-I); or
3. 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.
b. Any other touching by Team A is illegal touching, a violation that, when
the ball becomes dead, gives the receiving team the privilege of taking
the ball at the spot of the violation.
c. If a penalty incurred by either team before the ball becomes dead is
enforced, or if there are offsetting fouls, the illegal touching privilege is
canceled (A.R. 6-1-3-I).
d. Illegal touching in Team A’s end zone is ignored.

6-1-6
ARTICLE 6. a. If a free kick is caught or recovered by a player of the receiving
team, the ball continues in play (Exceptions: Rules 4-1-3-g, 6-1-7, and 6-5-1 and
2). If caught or recovered by a player of the kicking team, the ball becomes dead
(A.R. 4-1-3-II and A.R. 6-1-6-I). The ball belongs to the receiving team at the dead-
ball spot, unless the kicking team is in legal possession when the ball is declared
dead. In the latter case, the ball belongs to the kicking team.