Rules of the game

NCHawker

NCHawker

Well-Known Member
The NE patriots did this onside kick which was a bust. I noticed that the kicking team players were not running past the ball as it rolled forward.

I know the kicking team can't touch it until it goes 10 yards.

Should I assume that if they ran ahead of the ball to hit the receivers, they would be offsides ?

as I type this I realize that it could be akin to interfering with the receivers catch (like a bumping a punt returner)

I'll leave it up to you my esteemed colleagues to dissect and analyze and take this topic and transform it into a 20 page rambling


 
When the ball is still in the air, the kicking team must give the receiver a chance to catch the ball. However, once the ball touches the ground it is the same as a fumble and is fair game for anybody to touch it.
 
Offsides is only an issue if a kicking team player advances ahead of the ball prior to the ball being kicked. In this case, they absolutely could AND should have moved in front to block. If you look at other onside kick formations, you will often see the first members of the kicking team ignore the ball and move to engage the receiving team in blocks beyond the ball.
 
Being too lazy to look this up myself, I will ask the masses. Haven't there been some onside kick rule changes within the past year or two that prevent the kicking team from just teeing off on the receiving team prior to the ball arriving as used to happen in the good ol' days?
 
CP87 said:
Being too lazy to look this up myself, I will ask the masses. Haven't there been some onside kick rule changes within the past year or two that prevent the kicking team from just teeing off on the receiving team prior to the ball arriving as used to happen in the good ol' days?
Click to expand...

If there is anything it might apply to anytime on the filed type stuff not specifically just kickoffs.
Nothing in the rules anyway: http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/kickoff
 
CP87 said:
Being too lazy to look this up myself, I will ask the masses. Haven't there been some onside kick rule changes within the past year or two that prevent the kicking team from just teeing off on the receiving team prior to the ball arriving as used to happen in the good ol' days?
Click to expand...
I think a couple years ago (maybe more than a couple) they put in a rule at either the college or NFL level that you couldn't haven't more than a certain number of players on either side of the kicker. Maybe that's what you are thinking of? ::shrug::
 
hawkfan2679 said:
I think a couple years ago (maybe more than a couple) they put in a rule at either the college or NFL level that you couldn't haven't more than a certain number of players on either side of the kicker. Maybe that's what you are thinking of? ::shrug::
Click to expand...
Yeah I kinda remember them putting that in to avoid putting like 9 guys all to one side. But that's all I can think of too.
 
hawkfan2679 said:
I think a couple years ago (maybe more than a couple) they put in a rule at either the college or NFL level that you couldn't haven't more than a certain number of players on either side of the kicker. Maybe that's what you are thinking of? ::shrug::
Click to expand...

This is true to keep the kicking team from flying 10 guys down to clobber the receivers.

These really slow kicks can be fielded by the receiving team before they go 10 yards which is what the receiving team should do.
 
It is illegal for the kicking team to block a receiving team player until the BALL has traveled at least 10 yards.

"ARTICLE 1. BLOCKING.
Item 1. Kicking Team. Prior to the ball touching a receiving team player or reaching the receiving team’s restraining line, he may not block or use his hands or arms against an opponent between the restraining lines, except to push or pull aside a receiver who is actively attempting to obstruct his attempt to proceed downfield. After the ball touches a receiving team player, or has reached the receiver’s restraining line, a kicking team player may legally block an opponent, and he may use his hands and arms to push or pull an opponent out of the way in a personal attempt to
recover the ball."

Page 26: https://operations.nfl.com/media/2725/2017-playing-rules.pdf
 
thejumper5 said:
It is illegal for the kicking team to block a receiving team player until the BALL has traveled at least 10 yards.

"ARTICLE 1. BLOCKING.
Item 1. Kicking Team. Prior to the ball touching a receiving team player or reaching the receiving team’s restraining line, he may not block or use his hands or arms against an opponent between the restraining lines, except to push or pull aside a receiver who is actively attempting to obstruct his attempt to proceed downfield. After the ball touches a receiving team player, or has reached the receiver’s restraining line, a kicking team player may legally block an opponent, and he may use his hands and arms to push or pull an opponent out of the way in a personal attempt to
recover the ball."

Page 26: https://operations.nfl.com/media/2725/2017-playing-rules.pdf
Click to expand...

If I am reading this right, that only applies to blocking a member of the receiving team BETWEEN the restraining lines (i.e. a player on the receiving team who has come forward in front of the 10 yard mark). If you continue on with that article, it states:

Regardless of the location of the ball, he may legally block an opponent at or beyond the receiving team’s restraining line. During the kick, the kicking team is subject to the blocking restrictions of the defense.

It kind of makes my head hurt trying to decipher that.
 
wow, that was pretty weak. I've always wondered why they don't try kicking the thing directly at one of the receiving players like a bullet, looking for a bounce back. Seems as good as anything we've seen tried.
 
hawkdrummer1 said:
wow, that was pretty weak. I've always wondered why they don't try kicking the thing directly at one of the receiving players like a bullet, looking for a bounce back. Seems as good as anything we've seen tried.
Click to expand...

That is a strategy sometimes used. The problem is that if a player dodges, there is zero chance to recover, as the ball has to hit the ground first before the kicking team can recover.
 
That's why kickers hit the ball down into the ground to bounce it up so that it counts as an already bounced ball
 
Not unless the ball is in the air and some player puts the fair catch signal up and gets hit. This is why they try to get that one big bounce off the ground first.
 
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