Should I Assume This Play Is Illegal in the States?

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by Spence

Happened in Canada. Kid caught a punt and immediately punted it back . Ball was picked up by his own team and ran in for a TD.

Should I assume a)it's not the same in the US and b)that would be a penalty?

Yes. The last major USAn code to ban the return kick was NFL's. Before that, Fed. The earliest ban on it was NCAA's.

Also banned by the USAn codes is onside recovery & advance of a live ball kick.

In fact, by now all the USAn codes have prohibited all live ball kicks other than from in or behind the neutral zone during play from scrimmage before a change of possession, NFL again being the last to do so. One thing that simplified was the administration of play following a blocked kick, by getting rid of the possibility of a blocked kick during a return or from beyond the neutral zone.