Onside Kick Question

[maven]

Originally Posted by jTheUmp

maven,
That rule was changed in the 2012 season. It shows up as "new" in the 2013 rulebook because the NCAA didn't publish a new rulebook in 2012, despite the rule change.

Gotcha. Thanks!

[Rich]

Originally Posted by maven

Are you sure, Rich? My 2013-14 book has 6-4-1-f in blue, indicating that it is new this year.

"During a free kick a player of the receiving team in position to receive the ball has the same kick-catch and fair-catch protection whether the ball is kicked directly off the tee or is immediately driven to the ground, strikes the ground once and goes into the air in the manner of the ball kicked directly off the tee."

Positive -- I worked NCAA football last year and it was new then. Oh, and what others have said, too.

[youngump]

Originally Posted by Rich

The rule was new last year, actually.

A lot of the information in this thread is good for NFHS games, but don't apply to NCAA games -- such as -- a player in an NCAA game can legally signal for a fair catch after one bounce.

That's not after any bounce though, right? It's just if it bounces because it's kicked directly into the ground. If it bounces 10 yards down the field, no fair catch?

[Welpe]

It's any bounce technically. The chance you'd see it on anything other than a direct drive into the ground is so infinitesimal you'd need 400 level statistics to figure it out.

[bisonlj]

Originally Posted by Welpe

It's any bounce technically. The chance you'd see it on anything other than a direct drive into the ground is so infinitesimal you'd need 400 level statistics to figure it out.

No, it only applies to balls kicked directly into the ground. If they scoot one that goes 5 yards and then bounces, the receiving team does NOT have fair catch options.

Here is the exact wording of the rule
During a free kick a player of the receiving team in position to receive the
ball has the same kick-catch and fair-catch protection whether the ball is
kicked directly off the tee or is immediately driven to the ground, strikes the
ground once and goes into the air in the manner of the ball kicked directly
off the tee.

Two reasons for this rule change:
1. Apparently there were crews that struggled with distinguishing the quick pound into the ground and a pooch kick.
2. The result of this action is similar to a pooch kick and the receiving team is very vulnerable looking up for the recovery.