Unfair Onside Kick Rule

[Cougar68]

One other detail of the rule that I left out is that if the receiving team doesn't touch the ball, it not only has to go 10 yards it also has to touch the ground.  That's why you'll see the kickers top the ball into the ground to bounce it in the air.  That way it's already hit the ground and a live ball as soon as it hit ten yards.  That's a detail that was completely lost to the referees who officiated Indianapolis supposed "miracle comeback" against Tampa Bay a few years back.  Two of their onside kicks never hit the ground or an opposing player.

[DREDIOCK]

(quote) It's a great rule that adds drama and hope to the closing minutes of close games. (unquote)

Yeah, I'll give it that.  Football also has the most different ways to score points: 7 touchdown, 3 field goal, 2 safety, 2 run or pass extra point, 1 kicked extra point.  Main other sport with different point options is basketball. 

Refresh my memory -- When this rule started, didn't the on-side kick have to be at least touched by a member of the receiving team?  That's the way I re-member it.  That is reasonable.  It is not reasonable for the kickoff to be recovered by the kicking team unless a member of the receiving team has touched it first.  That is football solitaire. 

Dont forget the drop kick 

[DREDIOCK]

oh, abnd the onside kick rule certainly is fair.

Both sides have a chance to get the ball.

[Halo]

(quote)  One other detail of the rule that I left out is that if the receiving team doesn't touch the ball, it not only has to go 10 yards it also has to touch the ground.  That's why you'll see the kickers top the ball into the ground to bounce it in the air.  That way it's already hit the ground and a live ball as soon as it hit ten yards.  That's a detail that was completely lost to the referees who officiated Indianapolis supposed "miracle comeback" against Tampa Bay a few years back.  Two of their onside kicks never hit the ground or an opposing player. (unquote) 

That makes more sense, and I'm not surprised even some officals are confused about the rule.  I got the impression the Dallas leaper was trying to grab the kickoff high in the air before it ever got near a Redskin.   

I guess I support it more IF the ball has to hit the ground on or beyond where the receiving team is lined up, i.e., not hit the ground and bounce over the receiving team in the air.  I'm still not clear on that. 

[Halo]

(quote)  Dont forget the drop kick  (unquote)

Oh yeah, I think I saw one of those once.  But I forget its consequence.  How many points does a drop kick score? 

[majic]

One other detail of the rule that I left out is that if the receiving team doesn't touch the ball, it not only has to go 10 yards it also has to touch the ground.  That's why you'll see the kickers top the ball into the ground to bounce it in the air.  That way it's already hit the ground and a live ball as soon as it hit ten yards.  That's a detail that was completely lost to the referees who officiated Indianapolis supposed "miracle comeback" against Tampa Bay a few years back.  Two of their onside kicks never hit the ground or an opposing player.

I could be wrong on this but I think the reason they kick it into the ground first is the other team could call a fair catch if it hasn't hit the ground yet.  I'll see if I can look it up.

Edit: 

A kickoff is illegal unless it travels 10 yards OR is touched by the receiving team. Once the ball is touched by the receiving team or has gone 10 yards, it is a free ball. Receivers may recover and advance. Kicking team may recover but NOT advance UNLESS receiver had possession and lost the ball.

From: http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/kickoff

[Nefarious]

(quote)  Dont forget the drop kick  (unquote)

Oh yeah, I think I saw one of those once.  But I forget its consequence.  How many points does a drop kick score? 

Three. Its the same as a FG, I have only seen it in highlights.

[majic]

Three. Its the same as a FG, I have only seen it in highlights.

Only one to do it recently was Doug Flutie just before he retired.

[Reschke]

An onside kick does not have to touch a player on the receiving team nor does it have to touch the ground while traveling those first ten yards. I was playing in a game in college and our kicker booted one up about 9 miles (not really) and we cleared the opposing team out of the way with our wedge busters and one of our receivers was on the kick off team and he caught it directly out of the air before it touched the ground.

[MiloMorai]

Modern American football usage

Since at least 1923, the onside kick has been subject to additional constraints in most forms of American football, and the term is now something of a misnomer in American football. The receiving team has in general a presumption to a kicked ball, unless a player on the team touches the ball and muffs or fumbles it, upon which the ball becomes live and may be recovered and advanced by the kicking team. Otherwise, the restrictions that must be met in order for the ball to be recovered are:

    * The kick must be a free kick (a kickoff, free kick after a safety, or the rare fair catch kick)
    * The kick must cross the receiving team's restraining line (normally 10 yards in front of the kicking team's line)
    * The kicking team may only recover and retain possession of the kicked ball, but not advance it
    * The kicking team must not interfere with an attempt by a player of the receiving side to catch the ball on the fly [2]

"Onside kick" is now reserved in modern usage for a free kick intentionally attempted in such a manner as to maximize the possibility of recovery by the kicking team. Kicks not attempted in such a way that yet happen to be muffed or fumbled by the receiving team are not referred to as onside kicks.

Once the ball has hit the ground there is no chance of a catch and hence no possibility of interference. Thus the kicking team generally attempts to make the ball bounce early and be available around 10 yards in front of the spot of the kick. One technique, useful especially on a hard field such as one with an artificial surface, is to kick the ball in a way that it spins end-over-end very near the ground and makes a sudden bounce high in the air. The oblong shape of an American football can make it bounce off the ground and players in very unpredictable ways. This unpredictability has the additional benefit for the kicking team of increasing the probability that the receiving team will muff the kick.

wiki

[Nefarious]

Only one to do it recently was Doug Flutie just before he retired.

Ahhh... Old Flutie.

[Reschke]

Ahh but the kicking team can go down and take out possible players on the receiving team in order to eliminate their possible chances of recovering the kick. The ball doesn't have to hit the ground at all but once an opposing player uses the fair catch signal in the vicinity of the area the ball will come down in they may not be interfered with in order to make the catch.

[Halo]

Thanks, guys, lots of good insight here and I'm learning a lot about onside kicks.  

(quote)  An onside kick does not have to touch a player on the receiving team nor does it have to touch the ground while traveling those first ten yards. I was playing in a game in college and our kicker booted one up about 9 miles (not really) and we cleared the opposing team out of the way with our wedge busters and one of our receivers was on the kick off team and he caught it directly out of the air before it touched the ground.  (unquote)

(quote)  * The kick must be a free kick (a kickoff, free kick after a safety, or the rare fair catch kick)
    * The kick must cross the receiving team's restraining line (normally 10 yards in front of the kicking team's line)
    * The kicking team may only recover and retain possession of the kicked ball, but not advance it
    

* The kicking team must not interfere with an attempt by a player of the receiving side to catch the ball on the fly [2]  (unquote)

Doesn't that last rule mean the receiving team MUST get a chance to at least touch the ball before the kicking team can try to get it?  

[GodinagreyHoody]

Doesn't that last rule mean the receiving team MUST get a chance to at least touch the ball before the kicking team can try to get it?  

Yes, that is why an onside kick is kicked into the ground first(as stated by someone already). When Jimmy Johnson coached Miami, he had Olindo Mare practice this and it soon became commonplace in the NFL.

It is done by striking the foot across the top of the football, driving it first into the ground and end over end. As it bounces along the ground, the shape of the football and end over end rolling creates a high bounced at some point, most of the time before it reaches the 10 yard point of recovery, bounding over that point. This bounce creates a jump ball that anyone can attempt to recover without an interference penalty.

The NFL is big business, those advertising dollars would be reduced if no one was going to stick around to watch the game.