Roughing the kicker....

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by Eastshire

The exception applies if "at the snap, a place-kick holder with his knee(s) on the ground and with a teammate in kicking position catches or recovers the snap while his knee(s) is on the ground and places the ball for a kick, or if he rises to advance, hand, kick or pass."

The teammate was in kicking position at the snap so the exception is in force and, since it doesn't say while a teammate is in kicking position, there's no reason why the exception would end just because the teammate is no longer in kicking position for any reason.

But once the kicker is gone, the holder ceases to place the ball for a kick. If your interpret'n were correct, that placing the ball for a kick were simply an act that is completed once the ball is teed up, then while in that position the holder who momentarily teed up the ball could then do anything with the ball and it would remain alive. Yet we know that's not the case, because there's a separate exception to allow him to rise, and it's well established that he can't pass the ball from the kneeling position in Fed rules. Therefore placing the ball for a kick must be a continuing action that ends only when the ball is kicked or the holder rises; it is not completed once the ball is teed up, it is ongoing while the ball is held in that position for an ostensible place kick. If there is no kicker in position, then the exception no longer applies.