Expert: Vic Winnek - 9/29/2008

Question
QUESTION: I specifically want to know about kick off rules / kicker rules.... for instance: Can any player on the kickoff team actually kick the ball, or does the kicker have to be identified/known prior to the kick?

Example: KICK OFF TEAM (#1THRU#11)IS LINED UP SPREAD ACROSS THE FIELD, TEE/BALL IS ON RIGHT HASH MARK,
1   2   3   4    5    6    7   8    9    10    11      
         
         (BALL)
UPON REFEREE WHISTLE CAN ANY ONE OF THE ELEVEN PLAYERS APPROACH AND KICK THE BALL? AS IN #3 CAN KICK ONSIDE TO HIS LEFT, #4 CAN KICK DEEP, #5 CAN KICK ONSIDE TO HIS RIGHT ?

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP


ANSWER: Dear EQ

Thank you for your Question, I apologize for the delay but as my profile states, I am an active on field NCAA football official and travel to games, thus there will be a delay in my replies when asked Thursday-Sunday during the football season.

Generally, the answer to your question is YES, any player on the kickoff team may actually kick the ball.  There is no specific rule in either the NCAA or National Federation Rule books that require the kicker to identify himself prior to the free kick. Now, if there is an intent to deceive opponents, it may be illegal as an unfair tactic.  Also under NCAA Rules the formation must be legal.

Under NCAA rules you must have at least 4 players on each side of the Kicker ball when the ball is kicked.  National Federation Rules do not have such a restriction on Free Kick Formation. Thus under NCAA Rules the above formation is not legal - there are only 3 players to the left of the ball (1,2,3 with 4 being the kicker).  Under National Federation rules it is legal.

"The kicker is any player who punts, drop kicks or place
kicks according to rule. He remains the kicker until he has had a reasonable time to regain his balance."

I suspect there is more to your question than it simply states - there has recently been an increase in free kick formation issues with members of the kicking team trying to deceive the receiving team players to catch them off guard and to use tactics that are unfair.


I offer the below examples of Unfair tactics to give you a flavor of the type of acts that are deemed unfair.  You can see each one of these acts involves a tactic to deceive opponents.  Please bare in mind there is a distinction between unfair tactics and equitable gamesmanship.  The Writers of the rules (Coaches) want rules that are equal un that prevent deception or act that induce to deceive opponents.  The Rules seek to have "mono e mono" play that is fair.


Examples of Unfair Tactics:
Unfair (Approved Ruling 9-2-2)

I. After the ball is ready for play, Team A goes into a formation with two players split wide on both sides of the snapper and two other Team A linemen adjacent to the snapper, with seven men all legally on the scrimmage line. All four backfield players are legally in the backfield. Team A sends in two substitutes, who take positions on the line of scrimmage adjacent to the two split offensive linemen on the opposite side of the field of play from their team bench. This leaves Team A with nine players on the line of scrimmage and four backfield players all legally in position. Immediately and before the snap, two Team A linemen nearest their team’s bench leave the field of play and are off at the snap. Seven players are on the line of scrimmage, five of whom are Team A linemen numbered 50 to 79. RULING: Penalty—15 yards from the previous spot. This is a simulated replacement of a player to confuse the opponents.

II. On fourth down at Team B’s 12-yard line, A1 enters the field of play with a kicking shoe while his 11 teammates are in the huddle. A1
kneels and measures the distance from the neutral zone to the kicking
spot. While his teammates are leaving the huddle, A1 leaves the field
of play with the shoe. Team A quickly runs a play from scrimmage.
RULING: Team A foul. Penalty—15 yards from the previous spot.
There shall be no simulated replacement of a player to confuse the
opponents, and a player who communicates must remain in the game
for one down.

III. A1 leaves the field of play during a down. Team A huddles with 10 players. Substitute A12 enters, and A2 simulates leaving the field but sets near the sideline for a “hide-out’’ pass.
RULING: Penalty—15 yards from the previous spot. This is a simulated replacement of a player to confuse opponents.

IV. Between scrimmage downs, one or more Team B substitutes enter the
field of play. Before the snap for the next down, more than 11 Team
B players intentionally stay on the field of play as long as possible
(more than three seconds) to disguise the defensive personnel,
the type of defense and the pass coverage. RULING: Dead-ball
foul on Team B, illegal substitution. Penalty—Five yards from the
succeeding spot (Rule 3-5-2-c).

V. While a team is legally set to attempt a field goal, the potential holder for the kick goes toward his team area asking for a shoe. A shoe is thrown on the field and the player, in motion toward his team area, turns toward the goal line. The ball is snapped to the player in the kicking position, who throws a pass to the player who had turned upfield after asking for a shoe. RULING: Penalty—15 yards from the previous spot.

VI. Team A, with 12 players in the vicinity of the huddle (within 10
yards), breaks the huddle and two players start toward the sideline
and Team A’s bench. RULING: Dead-ball foul. Penalty—Five yards
from the succeeding spot.

VII. Team A is lined up in scrimmage kick formation and has been set
for one second. One of the offensive backs shouts to and motions to
A40, the blocker on the right wing, to get off the field. At the snap,A40 is in legal motion toward his sideline. A40 turns downfield and becomes a pass receiver. RULING: Penalty—15 yards from the
previous spot. This is a tactic associated with the substitution process to deceive opponents.

In sum, anyone may kick the ball without identifying himself as the kicker.  The formation rules must be complied with as under NCAA rules.  NFHS rules do not require a certain formation. If you merely kick from the formation as described above it is legal, but if a player acts in such a way to deceive then it "may" be deemed an unfair tactic.  I merely caution you of this.  I suggest you speak with the Referee prior to the game to discuss and know that nothing in Rule 2 or 6 prohibits the ball from being Free Kicked as you describe. I hope this answers your Question.

Best of luck,
Victor Winnek
NCAA Football Official

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: VERY INFORMATIVE ANSWER, THANK YOU!
YES, YOU ARE CORRECT, THERE IS ALWAYS MORE TO THE QUESTION. AT THE YOUTH LEVEL (HIGH SCHOOL AND YOUNGER),  KICK OFF TACTICS SEEM TO ALWAYS BE DECEPTIVE IN NATURE!, TEAMS HUDDLING AND THEN EXPLODING TOWARDS THE BALL, KICKERS RUNNING UP AND CIRCLING THE BALL PRIOR TO KICK, LINING UP ONSIDE AND THEN KICKING DEEP, ETC.
NOW THAT WE HAVE DETERMINED THE FORMATION AS I DESCRIBED IT TO BE LEGAL UNDER NFHS RULES, TELL ME IF THE KICKING STRATEGY/TACTIC WOULD SEEM TO BE AN "UNFAIR TACTIC" IN YOUR OPINION... PENDING HOW THE KICK RETURN TEAM LINES UP, THE KICK OFF TEAM USES PLAYER #3 TO KICK ONSIDE TO THE LEFT, PLAYER #4 TO KICK DEEP OR PLAYER #5 TO KICK ONSIDE TO THE RIGHT. DOES THIS SEEM TO BE "UNFAIR" WHEN COMPARED TO OTHER TACTICS DESCRIBED?
AGAIN I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE!


Answer
EQ

Thanks for the follow up question.  i have spent close to 10 hours reading case books, test questions, notes and bulletins from the high school and college game.  The key in the National Federation Rules to determine if the kicking play is an unfair tactic is if the is any conduct, action or verbiage that causes confusion or could cause confusion so as to deceive an opponent.

I don't think you play meets those elements and thus your play is permitted if done exactly as you describe. So long as there is no action or verbiage that confuses the receiving team  #3 may KICK ONSIDE TO HIS LEFT, #4 may KICK DEEP, or #5 may KICK ONSIDE TO HIS RIGHT.
Great question!

Victor Winnek
NCAA Football Official