re: the onside kick

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I don't believe that on-sides kicks that first hit the ground are subject to the rule that you have to give the receiver the chance to receive the ball. Once it hits the ground, it is a live ball, and all the kicking team has to do is to make sure it goes 10 yards.

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This is the key point. You can't hit a player in advance of the ball before it goes that 10 yards...Once it goes 10 yards, anyone can hit anyone and the ball is live.

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Looked it up

Rule 6, Section 1, Article 2:
g. No Team A player may block an opponent until Team A is eligible to touch a free-kicked ball [S19]

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You missed this part:

a. This protection terminates when the kick touches the ground, when any player
of Team B muffs a scrimmage kick beyond the neutral zone, or when any
player of Team B muffs a free kick in the field of play or in the end zone (Rule
6-5-1-a) (A.R. 6-4-1-IV).

As much as I'd like to agree with you, this was a legal play.

After 15 years officiiating high school, I now officiate in the Southland conference so I know this book well.

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These refs were asleep for some of the game though.

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Really. How about that awesome touchback where they tried to give us the ball. The two officials on the scene looked like a couple of deer in headlights.

Then you must not have watched PP get two feet in on an int last year against Bama either. I hate the refs.

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Nevertheless, Les should have had the hand's team on the field.

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Yet another example of how dumb some posters in this site really are.

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Apparently it was the right call because the player was moving forward or something?? Uhh.
I don't know, still confused by this one.

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It was the wrong call or more correctly a horrible no-call. UNC should have been flagged for receiver interference, just as Brent and Herbstreit suggested. Bewildering why that wasn't called and equally bewildering how you could review it and not over-rule the field call.

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a. This protection terminates when the kick touches the ground, when any player
of Team B muffs a scrimmage kick beyond the neutral zone, or when any
player of Team B muffs a free kick in the field of play or in the end zone (Rule
6-5-1-a) (A.R. 6-4-1-IV).
Ok so it was legal for their player to creamate our player prior to the ball going 10 yards.
The ball never advanced the 10 yards ever during the play. The replay clearly showed this. They should have spoted the ball at 9.5 yards and said "hey the ball didn't travel 10 yards and awarded LSU the ball at what the 40? I'm still confused at how they gave a ball that didn't travel 10 yards to the kicking team.

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The term "muff" refers to a mishandling by the receiver BEFORE he is touched. That rule does not apply to a receiver being contacted prior to the balls arrival. By rule, LSU should have not only received the ball but advanced it 10 yards upfield for the penalty assessment.

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CPT, could you please point out the section for onsides kicks? thnkx in advance

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There is no section that specifically covers "onside kicks". Like most of the rule book, you have to reference several sections to correctly apply the rule to the situation; however, I'll do my best.

The first time you read the rule book, you'll wonder how a game can ever be properly officiated, but the longer you read it, the better you get at it.

The rule book is divided into Rules, Sections and Articles. Articles are further broken down by letters. When interpriting a rule, you'll sometimes have to search through several sections and articles of the same rule.

Below, when I state "Rule 6-1-2-g, I'm saying Rule 6, Section 1, Article 3g.


Rule 6 covers "Kicks".

Rule 6-1-2-g states: No Team A player may block an opponent until Team A is eligible to touch a free-kicked ball.

But if you read further down to Rule 6-1-3, you'll find the following:

No Team A player may touch a free-kicked ball until after:
1. It touches a Team B player;
2. It breaks the plane of and remains beyond Team B’s restraining line; or
3. It touches any player, the ground, an official or anything beyond Team B’s
restraining line.
Thereafter, all players of Team A become eligible to touch, recover or catch the
kick.

Still, if you read Rule 6 further, you find Section 4 which deals with Opportunity to catch a kick.

Rule 6-4-1 states:

A player of the receiving team within the boundary lines attempting
to catch a kick, and so located that he could have caught a free kick or a scrimmage
kick that is beyond the neutral zone, must be given an unimpeded opportunity to
catch the kick.

Then in Rule 6-4-1-a, you read:

This protection terminates when the kick touches the ground, when any player
of Team B muffs a scrimmage kick beyond the neutral zone, or when any
player of Team B muffs a free kick in the field of play or in the end zone.

So you see, you have to continue reading to cover everything that happens in one play and interpret the rule fairly.

The big mistake the LSU player made was to move into the neutral zone. Had he not done that, the UNC player probably would have commited a foul by touching the ball illegally prior to it traveling 10 yards.

As an official, the kicking game presents the most challenges. Especially onsides kicks.

I hope I explained it well enough for you.

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You missed this part:

a. This protection terminates when the kick touches the ground, when any player
of Team B muffs a scrimmage kick beyond the neutral zone, or when any
player of Team B muffs a free kick in the field of play or in the end zone (Rule
6-5-1-a) (A.R. 6-4-1-IV).

As much as I'd like to agree with you, this was a legal play.

After 15 years officiiating high school, I now officiate in the Southland conference so I know this book well.

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apparently you dont.

"This protection terminates when the kick touches the ground, when any player of Team B muffs a scrimmage kick beyond the neutral zone..."

it has to go ten yards. otherwise kicking teams would just tap it off the tee and jump on it.


HERE is the simplest definition I could find. To summarize...


g. "No Team A (kicking team) player may block an opponent until Team A is eligible to touch a free-kicked ball."

and when are they eligible?


"No Team A (kicking team) player may touch a free-kicked ball until after:
1. It touches a Team B player
2. It breaks the plane of and remains beyond Team B’s restraining line (goes 10 yards); or
3. It touches any player, the ground, an official or anything beyond Team B’s restraining line.

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As much as I'd like to agree with you, this was a legal play.

After 15 years officiiating high school, I now officiate in the Southland conference so I know this book well.

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If this is true, you better make sure your supervisor never reads this post.