Free Kick Play

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

What? At this point, K is doing what he's allowed to do - trying to return to the field immediately after being blocked out of bounds. How in the world can K be flagged at this point in the play?

I see your point later in the play - after running 15 yards out of bounds, if he comes in and occupies a blocker, he could be flagged for IP (play going the other way is not enough to rule it out -- but if the play ended very shortly after K re-entered, I'd not flag it.

This is what I was thinking of. But given this play, I'm not sure I agree with the rest of this sentence. By running 15 yards OOB and taking a blocker with him, he's definitely participating, even if the play ends shortly after he re-enters.

I just can't see flagging R here but giving K a pass, since K's illegal actions occasioned R's.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by mbyron

This is what I was thinking of. But given this play, I'm not sure I agree with the rest of this sentence. By running 15 yards OOB and taking a blocker with him, he's definitely participating, even if the play ends shortly after he re-enters.

I just can't see flagging R here but giving K a pass, since K's illegal actions occasioned R's.

Not true. R's foul occurred significantly before anything K did illegally. K was blocked OOB, K tried to return, then R went out of bounds and participated by blocking. That should be flagged the moment he left the field of play and then blocked. You don't know (yet) that K is going to foul.

You may, or may not, still have a foul on K later in this play, either by participating in the actual play or as you described, occupying a blocker. However, I think you'd get some debate on the idea that K running out of bounds 15 yards occupied a blocker. The players are supposed to know the rules - if K doesn't return immediately, R should know to ignore him. I can see your side too though, especially with the K player running right in the restricted area - near enough to inbounds that R feels like he needs to stay with his man.