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You are here: Experts > Sports > Football > College Football > onside kick blocking rules
Expert: Thom Brooks - 10/27/2009
Question
QUESTION: Team A kicks the ball to Team B. The ball hits the ground and continues bouncing. Team B has a player stationed on the 38 trying to catch the ball and he is blocked by Team A's player before the ball goes 10 yards. Team A then recovers on the 42.
I understood the ball had to go 10 yards before the kicking team could block. Am I correct?
ANSWER: Art, hello!
I am not sure if you meant to put the 38 yard line, but the answer is that the K team would be guilty of "First Touching" if they touch the ball before it goes 10 yards. The ball would be dead and the R team would have the option of taking the ball at that spot.
Both teams cannot come inside the 10 yard line until the ball is kicked. Then, all of them can block as long as there is not a "Kick Catching Interference", which is a 15 yard penalty. That could occur if the R team called a legal Fair Catch (if the ball had not hit the ground), and if the K team interfered with that catch.
All players can legally block before the ball travels 10 yards but the K team cannot touch the ball within that 10 yards without First Touching, killing the ball.
Other penalties could factor into the play, so I do not know what play you saw.
In your example, if Team B had someone stationed on the 48, and if a Fair Catch was called, and was legal, then the Team A man that blocked him would be guilty of Kick Catching Interference. Is that what happened?
Take care,
Thom Brooks
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: This was the onside kick at the end of the Alabama Tennessee game. The ball was kicked and hit the ground, bouncing into the air. Julio Jones moved uner to catch it and was blocked out of the play. This was inside the 10 yard zone. Then , the UT player fell on the loose ball on the 42 yard line.
Answer
I remember the play but not any penalty. The K team had the right to block Jones since it was not a valid fair catch. If the K team had touched the ball first, it would have been dead and Alabama's ball at the spot. Apparently, it touched a Tide player first.
Take care and Go Georgia Bulldogs!!!
Hah! I love all of the SEC teams and hope Florida, Alabama or Georgia Tech can reign supreme this year. I hope Texas and Southern Cal get blocked out so TCU or Boise State can play for the title against the Tide, Gators or Yellow Jackets!
Thom Brooks
CompnyBiz@aol.com
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