Free Kick Lines

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by JasonTX

NCAA keeps it simple.

Distance penalties by either team may not extend a team's free kick restraining line behind its five yard line. Penalties that would otherwise place the free kick restraining line behind a team's five yard line are enforced from the next succeeding spot.

When did they make that change?

I don't see why that's simple. It just adds a complication. It may be good for other reasons, but not simplicity.

[JasonTX]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

When did they make that change?

I don't see why that's simple. It just adds a complication. It may be good for other reasons, but not simplicity.

Well, the rules state the ball must travel 10 yards (or touched by team B) before team A can gain legal possession. Kind of hard to do if there isn't 10 yards between the two teams. Capping it off at the 5 ensures there will always be a 10 yard "zone" between both teams.

As for when the change was made. It's been like that for all the 11 years I've been using NCAA rules.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by JasonTX

Well, the rules state the ball must travel 10 yards (or touched by team B) before team A can gain legal possession. Kind of hard to do if there isn't 10 yards between the two teams. Capping it off at the 5 ensures there will always be a 10 yard "zone" between both teams.

Uh, ever heard of end zones? They've been in use since, IIRC, 1912. So there's no need to have that NCAA rule to assure a 10 yard neutral zone, as illustrated by the Fed cases given above. The rules don't have to allow for possession by A regardless of the spot, do they?

As for when the change was made. It's been like that for all the 11 years I've been using NCAA rules.

So no later than 2000, then. But some time after 1983.

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

Uh, ever heard of end zones?

The snark is unecessary. Jason has a very valid point as it is a lot easier to delinate restraining lines when you have actual lines to work with. That and NCAA isn't as simple as Fed when it comes to kick offs and touchbacks.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by Welpe

The snark is unecessary. Jason has a very valid point as it is a lot easier to delinate restraining lines when you have actual lines to work with.

All you need is the first down chain and wing officials.

Besides, when R/B's restraining line is in their end zone, how serious is the encroachment problem? They're not defending against K/A's potential recovery.

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

They're not defending against K/A's potential recovery.

Oh they aren't? So when A line drives a kick off the front B lineman's leg in an attempt to recover in the end zone, we can just guess if a B player is offside or not?

My guess is NCAA has this rule for two reasons. To reduce the instances of A trying to recover in the endzone and to prevent issues with judging offside.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by Welpe

Oh they aren't? So when A line drives a kick off the front B lineman's leg in an attempt to recover in the end zone, we can just guess if a B player is offside or not?

Whose advantage would it be for him to encroach?

[SC Ump]

Originally Posted by Welpe

Oh they aren't? So when A line drives a kick off the front B lineman's leg in an attempt to recover in the end zone, we can just guess if a B player is offside or not?

For Fed, is this play even possible? If B's (a.k.a. R's) free kick line has been backed up into the end zone, how could an 'on sides kick' work if:

SECTION 3 TOUCHBACK

ART. 1 . . . It is a touchback if any free kick or scrimmage kick
a. Which is not a scoring attempt or which is a grounded three-point breaks the plane of R’s goal line...