Kicking Team Advancing Free Kick
 

From a basketball Ref. Texas High School Football, so NCAA rules apply.

Can the kicking team advance a recovered free kick - whether that kick is:
1. not touched by the receiving team
2. muffed by the receiving team
3. touched (as opposed to muffed) by the receiving team
4. fumbled by the receiving team

Please site NCAA rule or rules for me. Thanks.

Assuming the rulebook is written the same way in Denmark as it is in Texas the following rule states:

Rule 6, Article 6.a: [... ] If the ball is caught or conquered by the kicking team, the ball becomes dead.

This means that for question 1-3 the kicking team can NOT advance the ball.

HOWEVER:
When the receiving team gains possession of the ball it is no longer a "kicking-play" but a return. So if the receiving team fumbles it is just like an interception return and at the kicking team can recover and advance the ball. So question 4: kicking team CAN advance.

As long as it's not a muff. That's my understanding anyway.

There's a simple way to look at it. The kick remains a kick until it comes into a player's possession or becomes dead; any other touching short of possession leaves it as a kick. If it becomes dead, then that answers all the other questions. If a free kick ends in a player's possession, if it's a player of the kicking team, it's also dead. If it's a player of the receiving team, then since it's no longer a free kick, any later loose ball or change of possession is ruled under the rules for that kind of loose ball or possession change.

Thanks for the responses.

Can anyone give me a NCAA rule site?

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.

No.
No.
No.
Yes.

2-2-7-a-1 & 2-15-1-c along with 6-1-3-should cover it.

You can add 2-10-2 in there if needed too.

Thanks all.