On-Side kick at end of Alabama Tennessee game
 

New poster here. We've heard a lot about the Alabama player removing his helmet on the last-second blocked FG, but I think there should have been a penalty called on Tennessee during their successful on-sides kick recovery.

To recap, Tennessee has just scored a TD, and was attempting an onsides kick. The kick was a beautiful one, hit the ground immediately after being kicked, and bounced up high into the air, where all of the Bama players and Tennessee player began to converge on it. But, the Tennessee kick coverage man flew in and blocked an Alabama player who had jumped up to catch the ball out of the air before the ball had traveled 10 yards. The Alabama player was also within the 10-yard neutral zone, so I believe the block by the Tennessee player was illegal and should have been flagged. Here's the rule from the NCAA rule book.

Rule 6, Section 1, Article 2:
g. No Team A player may block an opponent until Team A is eligible to touch a
free-kicked ball [S19].

Since the ball had not yet traveled 10 yards, Tennessee was not eligible to recover, and thus the block should have been illegal, right?

Thanks.

http://forum.officiating.com/footbal...-question.html

I'm not trying to be a donkey here or anything, but here are the rules cited and why it was a legal play. I believe the ball hitting the ground makes it legal.

Oops. I guess I didn't read the threads on the front page carefully enough before posting. I should have just replied to that thread. Thanks.