Can you Punt a kickoff?

[CrazyCowboy]

I saw that yesterday and just figured it was the deadskins reinventing the wheel

 

[conner01]

you can not punt a kickoff
you can fair catch a kickoff and even take a free kck from the spot after the clock has run out.
gibbs will be sending the video to the league office i'm sure.
amazing how few coaches actually know the rules. fans i understand but coaches should know the rules

 

[percyhoward]

Unless they've changed the rule, you can fair catch a kickoff. It's one of the reasons the kicker has to kick the ball off the ground on an onsides kick. If he just popped it up, it could be fair caught.

That's right, and also, even if the receiving team didn't call a fair catch, the kicking team wouldn't be able to plow into them before the ball came down. Just like on a punt, you have to give the guy the opportunity to catch the ball (fair catch signal or no)--as long as it's in the air.

If a KO is coming down on the bounce, (and it's gone 10 yards) that's just a loose ball.

 

[StanleySpadowski]

I'm still wondering when someone comes up with a new way to onsides kick. With the new 4 to a side rule, I bet they come up with something.

Morten Anderson is credited with the way kickers pound the ball straight into the ground immediately instead of the old bounce, bounce, hop method.

I wonder if a line drive straight at a player might be the way to go. If hit hard enough it would be extremely difficult to catch and there wouldn't be time to fair catch it or perhaps just chip it straight up ten yards and hope the return team isn't quick-witted enough to realize that they can fair catch it.

 

[Stautner]

I'm still wondering when someone comes up with a new way to onsides kick. With the new 4 to a side rule, I bet they come up with something.

Morten Anderson is credited with the way kickers pound the ball straight into the ground immediately instead of the old bounce, bounce, hop method.

I wonder if a line drive straight at a player might be the way to go. If hit hard enough it would be extremely difficult to catch and there wouldn't be time to fair catch it or perhaps just chip it straight up ten yards and hope the return team isn't quick-witted enough to realize that they can fair catch it.

The line drive would be effective if kickers could accurately kick hard, low and on target at a player, but it isn't an easy thing to do. If the kicker misses the player, which is likely, then the chance to recover the onside kick is gone. At least the traditional onside kick guarantees a chance, though not often a good one.

 

[Glenn Carano]

Did anyone see how Atlanta did their on side kick against the Steelers in the 1st half yesterday? The kicker puts the ball on the tee as normal and begins to walk back to kick off, but halfway back to kick it off he turns quickly and runs up and squibs it, they catch the Steelers by surprise and the Falcons recover. It was nice.

 

[jman]

So what's the deal...

It's listed in the stats as a Free Kick, but it really never happened because it was kicked before the ref signaled to start that's why it was brought back...therefore no penality, I guess?

And if it is not allowed, what was the deal...did anyone ask Gibbs as to what they were thinking?

I've looked in the Washington Post, but nothing is really said about it.

 

[percyhoward]

...or perhaps just chip it straight up ten yards and hope the return team isn't quick-witted enough to realize that they can fair catch it.

They don't have to fair catch it. If your PK kicks a little pop fly, at least one of the receiving players will be camped under it. Your kicking team then has to give him the chance to catch it. If they don't, that's interference, whether he signals fair catch or not.

It's like on a punt. The gunner can't go running down the field and fly straight into the returner before he catches the ball. You can't hit a guy before he catches any ball kicked into the air--punts or kickoffs. That's why kickers bounce their onsides kicks. Once the ball has touched the ground, everybody has the right to the ball after it goes ten yards. It's then like a fumbled ball.

 

[stag hunter]

you can not punt a kickoff
you can fair catch a kickoff and even take a free kck from the spot after the clock has run out.
gibbs will be sending the video to the league office i'm sure.
amazing how few coaches actually know the rules. fans i understand but coaches should know the rules

I believe the play you are referring to only applies to a punt fair-caught as or after time expires in the 1st or 2nd half. The receiving team can then attempt an untimed free kick from the spot of the fair catch. In the 1980's the Commanders attempted this at the end of the first half against a very bewildered Giants team. Moseley's attempt was around 70 yards and it landed short.

 

[percyhoward]

I believe the play you are referring to only applies to a punt fair-caught as or after time expires in the 1st or 2nd half. The receiving team can then attempt an untimed free kick from the spot of the fair catch. In the 1980's the Commanders attempted this at the end of the first half against a very bewildered Giants team. Moseley's attempt was around 70 yards and it landed short.

I didn't realize anybody had ever tried that. Do you know if they let him use a tee?

 

[peplaw06]

I'm still wondering when someone comes up with a new way to onsides kick. With the new 4 to a side rule, I bet they come up with something.

Morten Anderson is credited with the way kickers pound the ball straight into the ground immediately instead of the old bounce, bounce, hop method.

I wonder if a line drive straight at a player might be the way to go. If hit hard enough it would be extremely difficult to catch and there wouldn't be time to fair catch it or perhaps just chip it straight up ten yards and hope the return team isn't quick-witted enough to realize that they can fair catch it.

It was a couple of weeks ago... I think Buffalo vs. NYJ.

Buffalo was in what looked like a loose huddle behind the kicker... you know looking like they were about to run out to their spots along a line and do a normal kickoff. Instead, they stayed in the bunched formation, the kicker ran up on the ball and kicked it on the ground at the guy in the middle. Essentially had 10 guys bearing down on him. He bobbled the ball and was blown up, and the Bills got the ball.

 

[StanleySpadowski]

They don't have to fair catch it. If your PK kicks a little pop fly, at least one of the receiving players will be camped under it. Your kicking team then has to give him the chance to catch it. If they don't, that's interference, whether he signals fair catch or not.

It's like on a punt. The gunner can't go running down the field and fly straight into the returner before he catches the ball. You can't hit a guy before he catches any ball kicked into the air--punts or kickoffs. That's why kickers bounce their onsides kicks. Once the ball has touched the ground, everybody has the right to the ball after it goes ten yards. It's then like a fumbled ball.

I realize that you can't touch them before they touch the ball, just like a punt, but I would think that a team would have a player in position to take a heck of a shot at them as soon as they did if it were chipped high enough.

 

[SteveOS]

That was really odd the Skins were kicking off from the 5 yard line. I mean has that ever happened in a game? I imagine it has, come to think of it, didn't someone kickoff from the 5 in a Dallas game a few years ago?

Very strange to see it, regardless. BTW, the refs threw a flag on the Skins for unsportsmanlike conduct, but I didn't really see anyone celebrating with Randal El, I saw Taylor pick him up, but I didn't see anything worthy of a 15 yard penalty. Guess they just didn't show it, if it did in fact happen.

Personally, the celebration rule is quite simply the stupidest rule in sports.

 

[StanleySpadowski]

That was really odd the Skins were kicking off from the 5 yard line. I mean has that ever happened in a game? I imagine it has, come to think of it, didn't someone kickoff from the 5 in a Dallas game a few years ago?

Very strange to see it, regardless. BTW, the refs threw a flag on the Skins for unsportsmanlike conduct, but I didn't really see anyone celebrating with Randal El, I saw Taylor pick him up, but I didn't see anything worthy of a 15 yard penalty. Guess they just didn't show it, if it did in fact happen.

Personally, the celebration rule is quite simply the stupidest rule in sports.

Randel El purposely ran into the goalpost then fell back like he was dead. Under the new rules, this was using something as a "prop" and the call was made.

 

[Danny White]

Randel El purposely ran into the goalpost then fell back like he was dead. Under the new rules, this was using something as a "prop" and the call was made.

I think he got flagged for falling to the ground. You're not supposed to go to the ground to celebrate now.

Didn't DWare get flagged after his TD against Philly for the same reason?

 

[StanleySpadowski]

I think he got flagged for falling to the ground. You're not supposed to go to the ground to celebrate now.

Didn't DWare get flagged after his TD against Philly for the same reason?

Probably both. Maybe they should have flagged him twice and they could have kicked off from the 2 1/2.

I know the goalpost can't be touched though ala the punching bag routine.

 

[links18]

4. Dallas vs. Atlanta, September 20, 1999.
Wayne McGarity fair caught a punt on the Atlanta 47 with no time left in the first half. Dallas coach Chan Gailey knew of the rule, and had specifically instructed McGarity to fair catch the punt if it was inside the 50, but Gailey forgot that he would be able to attempt the kick with no time left on the clock. Instead, the Cowboys went to the locker room.

 

[chargrove]

No. You must placekick a normal kickoff. Only kicks after safetys may be punted.

http://www.nfl.com/fans/rules/kickoff

What's the deal with number five on this list? I thought that if you kicked off and the ball went out of bounds, the rec. team got the ball at the 40 yard line? I know that is the rule!

Is that not what number five is addressing???

 

[YosemiteSam]

What's the difference between a dropkick and a punt?

Quote:
A drop kick is someone's dropping a ball and then kicking it when it bounces off the ground. It contrasts to a punt wherein the dropper kicks the ball without letting it hit the ground first.

 

[AdamJT13]

What's the deal with number five on this list? I thought that if you kicked off and the ball went out of bounds, the rec. team got the ball at the 40 yard line? I know that is the rule!

Is that not what number five is addressing???

The ball usually goes to the 40 because it is 30 yards from where the kickoff normally is from (the 30). If a penalty moved the kickoff back to the 15 and the kickoff went out of bounds deep, the receiving team would get the ball at the kicking team's 45.