Kicking Game Primer

[mikesears]

For all plays 4/10 from K-10

K1 kicks the ball and it goes straight up in the air about 30 feet but never crosses the neutral zone. When it comes down, it strikes (a) A1, or (b) B1 on the shoulder at the K-9.
A2 then jumps on the ball. Whose ball, down, and distance?

K1 kicks a line drive that strikes (a) K2’s, or (b) R2’ shoulder pad at the K-9. The ball continues in flight to the K-40 where it strikes the ground. K3 picks the ball up there. Results?


K1 kicks the ball and it crosses the expanded neutral zone. R2 muffs the kick at the K-20 and the ball rebounds back into K’s end zone where K1 falls on the ball. Results?



I'd be glad to post more plays later.

[nvfoa15]

Play 1: Touching of a scrimmage kick in or behind the expanded NZ is ignored. Therefore, no matter where K(A) recovers the ball it will be R's(B's) ball 1/10 or 1/G.

Play 2: Same as above touching is ignored. R's(B's) ball 1/10 K40.

Play3: Safety. The kick never ended (R muffed it), therefore, K is responsible the ball going into their endzone.

[Bob M.]

REPLY: For Mike's third play, if K's kick is muffed in flight by R, no question this is a safety since you can't add force to a kick in flight. However, if the kick is grounded and then muffed by R, then the covering official must determine who supplied the force that put the kick into K's end zone since according to NF 2-13, "After a backward pass, fumble or kick has been grounded, a new force may result from a bat, an illegal kick or a muff."

[Ed Hickland]

Originally posted by mikesears
For all plays 4/10 from K-10

K1 kicks the ball and it goes straight up in the air about 30 feet but never crosses the neutral zone. When it comes down, it strikes (a) A1, or (b) B1 on the shoulder at the K-9.
A2 then jumps on the ball. Whose ball, down, and distance?

Just wanted to add whether the ball crosses the neutral zone or not does not change this play.

That is, K1 kicks the ball and it crosses the neutral zone but is blown back by a gust of wind. Crossing the neutral zone has not material affect on this play as NFHS rules regarding touching discount whether the ball crossed the zone or not.

[Bob M.]

Originally posted by Ed Hickland

Just wanted to add whether the ball crosses the neutral zone or not does not change this play.

That is, K1 kicks the ball and it crosses the neutral zone but is blown back by a gust of wind. Crossing the neutral zone has not material affect on this play as NFHS rules regarding touching discount whether the ball crossed the zone or not.

REPLY: Not quite sure I understand what you're saying, Ed. If the kick in the play above touches K or R beyond the neutral zone, it certainly will have an effect on the ruling. If it touches R, the next down will be first for whoever is in possession; if it touches K beyond the neutral zone, it will be first touching and possibly KCI. However, if your post is talking about a kick which goes beyond the NZ but returns behind and then touches K or R, I agree with you.

[Ed Hickland]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bob M.
[B]

Originally posted by Ed Hickland

REPLY: Not quite sure I understand what you're saying, Ed. If the kick in the play above touches K or R beyond the neutral zone, it certainly will have an effect on the ruling. If it touches R, the next down will be first for whoever is in possession; if it touches K beyond the neutral zone, it will be first touching and possibly KCI. However, if your post is talking about a kick which goes beyond the NZ but returns behind and then touches K or R, I agree with you.

Exactly my point. If the kick passes over the neutral zone but is blown back behind the NZ without being touched past the zone, the affect of crossing the zone in the air has no effect on the play because NFHS and NCAA rules are based upon where the ball is touched.

[Bob M.]

Originally posted by Ed Hickland

"...the affect of crossing the zone in the air has no effect on the play because NFHS and NCAA rules are based upon where the ball is touched."

REPLY: Except that NCAA rules say that once the kick has crossed the neutral zone, any touching by Team A before any touching by Team B is illegal (first) touching--even if that touching occurs after the kick rebounds back behind the NZ. Likewise, after the kick crosses the neutral zone, possession by team A causes the ball to become dead and belong to Team B regardless of where A recovers it (behind or beyond the NZ). But now I understand what you said originally and I agree with you.

[Ed Hickland]

I brought up crossing the NZ in the air because last season in our first game my new umpire had not mastered covering the zone when a blocked kick went up into the air near the zone and was caught by the kicker who was close to the zone but behind it (if he wasn't...he was). Then he took off running pass the zone only to see a wide open teammate downfield. Therefore, he launched a pass, illegal though it was, that was completed.

Oh yeah, it was fourth down.

Then the K coach thought R had gained possession which would have allowed him to keep the ball. And, he could not understand why he was penalized five yards and then the other team got the ball. (Illegal pass, five yards from the end of the run and loss of down).

To think all this happened in less than 10 seconds.