NFHS: wrong type of free kick

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by ump33

[COLOR="Blue"]Perhaps 2-24-9 would be better suited if it stated that an illegal kick does not change the status of the ball.

It would be better in that it wouldn't do damage the way it threatens to now, but such a statement would also be superfluous.

I see Fed's convoluted definings on "legal kicks" goes back to at least 1960, so it's not as recent as I'd imagined. I think it'd be a lot simpler to define "kick" as NCAA long did, requiring but not exhausting situations of "kicking" of the ball, then lay out in the substantive rules (not Rule 2) the conditions under which kicks or certain types of kick are illegal or required.

Pretty easy, actually:

Rule 2:
"Kicking the ball is intentionally striking it with a part of the foot other than the heel, or with the shin."
"A kick is a place kick, drop kick, or punt."
"A punt is the act of kicking the ball by blah...."
Status of the ball is covered generally by loose ball definition such that the word indicates both the act and the type of loose ball it produces. I have doubts offhand that the book saves repetition by defining "scrimmage kick" and "free kick".

Other Rules:
"A live ball must not be kicked other than as a kick. Penalty...."
"A kick must not be made while [or following...].... Penalty...."
"When the ball is ready for play by free kick, a player of K must put the ball in play by making a kick...."