Ye 'ol Kicking Game

[mikesears]

Originally posted by JMN
Here's one for you guys:

NFHS and NCAA. Tie game. Late in Q4. The crowd is louder than you've ever heard them. A has just tied the score at 28-28. As you line up for the kickoff, you're thinking ON-SIDE, ON-SIDE, ON-SIDE!

Sure enough, your dream comes true. K kicks the ball (from the A40)in the air. At the B45; A) A81 who is normally a =fast as the wind= wide receiver races downfield, catches the ball at the B45 (there was no B player in position to catch the ball) and proceeds to the end zone for an apparent touchdown.

Using NFHS rules:

Kick Catching Interference. Regardless of if a player for R (or B) was in position to make the catch. If K touches a kick before it is grounded, we have a foul.

Was it so loud the players couldn't hear the whistle or don't these officials know the rules? The ball is dead the moment A/K possessed it. They are not allowed to advance a free-kick but the results of the action on the field is that they retain possession -- for the moment. However, B/R will probably accept either a 15 yard penalty for KCI from the previous spot and replay the free-kick down OR an awarded fair catch at the spot of the interference foul.

B) B44 waves the fair catch signal and catches the ball at the B45. He is then leveled by A59 and fumbles the ball which is recovered by B22 and run down the sideline for an apparent touchdown

Fair Catch is legal. R can fair catch any kick in flight.
This hit is then a dead-ball foul. The ball is dead the moment R possessed/caught the ball. All that advancement by B22 is nothing more than a rules happy game official's delay of game foul because A59 can't fumble a dead-ball and B can't advance a dead ball.

The penalty for the dead-ball hit foul will be enforced from the yardline where A/R possessed the ball. 1/10 for R after the 15 yard dead-ball foul.

C)B13 is attempting to field the ball, but is knocked down by A15 who was blocked into him by B20. The ball glances off of B13 and is recovered by A89.

Was the kick grounded or in flight? Regardless, we ignore the fact that A15 ran into B13 because he was pushed into him by another B/R player. If it had been in flight and K had not been blocked into R, it would have been a foul for KCI. If it had been grounded and K had not been blocked into R, we cannot have KCI but MAY have another foul if the block that knocked R down was illegal or if he held R to knock him down. The KCI rules only apply to a kick in flight.

If A15's action are not illegal, we have a live kick and the team that recovers will get a new series of downs due to R's touching. Team A/K will have the ball 1/10 where ever the recovered the ball (They may NOT advance it after recovering).

Whatcha got in each scenario? Consideration for penalties, rule applications, and your explanation to the coaches. [/B]

How'd I do. In any case, one or the other of the coaches isn't going to be happy.

In A, Coach A/K isn't going to be happy. Not only will he not get the Touchdown, he probably won't get to keep the ball. I would do my best to explain to the coach that K cannot touch a free-kick in flight. The only time K can touch ANY kick in flight is if the kick is a scrimmage kick and no R player is in position to catch the ball. Also a free kick is like a scrimmage kick in that the moment that K possesses the ball, it becomes dead. It is still a kick.

In B, the coach will probably rip his kid a new one and I won't have to do much explaining except possibly to say that the ball was possessed and became dead. It wasn't a muff.

In C, I would do my best to explain that we can't have a foul on R if K blocks him into the R punt receiver.

[Edited by mikesears on Jan 9th, 2003 at 07:08 AM]