Onside Kick Caught at the R15
 

JV game last night. V scores with about two minutes left to get within 14 points. They go for the onside kick.

K1 kicks a low line drive that bounces off R1 and towards the advancing K line. I'm on the R line, thinking K may get this one. It was a fleeting thought.

K2, in full stride, accidentally kicks the ball 40 yards down field to an awaiting R2 who catches it at the R15 and returns it about 15 yards.

I'm on the K sideline, and the coaches are just laughing at this point.

Sounds like a good one. Sooo, for the sake of discussion, what did you have?

Never see that again.

Last night I had a defender actually catch (before it hit the punter's foot) the ball after the punter dropped it and returned it for a TD...never in 21 years.

Adam, you realize that your thread title is misleading, right? The kick was not caught at the R15 (or indeed anywhere else). ;)

JV football, like peewees, is good training, especially for recognizing fouls and whistle discipline.

Wide eyes. That's it.

It's my first year in football, so you're going to have to help me on this one, maven. Why not?

I'm looking at 2-24, and I'm not seeing anything.

2-24: Oh, it's a kick all right.

Well, I made one small assumption, that the ball touched the ground somewhere along the line before it got to the R15. Was that wrong? Was it airborne the entire way?

Then check 2-4. ;)

Okay, 2-4-1, "live ball in flight"

I honestly don't recall whether it hit the ground at any point before it hit K2's foot, I think it did, but let's assume for this discussion that it did.

Now, 2-36, "Recovery." I see.

If, however, it didn't, it would have been a catch.

One more question. What significance is there for the difference on this particular play?

Mr Annoying Rule 2 guy strikes again. :D

There was a play?

Seriously, though, the interesting question was whether the kick was illegal.

Hah!

1. Shut up.

2. Yes, it was. All four of us agreed it was accidental. There's no way it wasn't, as K was trying to get the ball back. Unless there's some other reason it would have been illegal.

So wouldn't that make the accidental "kick" a muff? Which would explain why you guys just played on, instead of flagging for illegal kicking?

A kick, by definition, must be intentional. A muff is just when you touch the ball while attempting to get possession, but don't possess it.