Kicks into the endzone: rationale

[mbyron]

I have two guesses. First, kicks complicated to rule on: when does the kick end, muff vs. fumble, fair catch, momentum, and on and on. NFHS tries to simplify the rules where it can: so the ball is dead if the kick crosses the plane of the goal line.

Second, I would also speculate (and it's just speculation) that kick plays also see more injuries than most other types of play: players colliding with greater force, at odd angles, etc. NFHS tries to create rules that promote participant safety: so the ball is dead when the kick crosses the plane of the goal line.