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College Football/Kickoff rules

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Expert: - 10/4/2011


Question
We get a lot of teams from the USA side and all give us the "you don't know the rules"  example.
Kickoff  from the 40 (NFHS) it goes out of bounds on the 20, we ask the coach does he want the ball on the 35 or re kick, NO they want it on the 40, i got some screams from the USA teams because of that call, so he preferred to re kick and the result of the play was a tackle player on the 10, great job coach.  were we right ??? its on the 35.

Answer
Ernesto,
The game of football is in good hands with you and your crew. You are correct. The ball should have gone to the 35 yard line or they could have rekicked with a 5 yard penalty.

The Free Kick rules (under NFHS) provided the the penalty for a free kick out of bounds is:
1) 5 yard penalty and rekick, or
2) put the ball in play at the inbounds spot 25 yards from beyond the previous spot [stated another way - 25 yards from where the free kick occurred; so if it was Kicked off from the 40 yard line you would go 25 yards to the 35 yard line and give the ball to the receiving team 1st and 10 from the 35 yardline].

Lastly, they could decline the penalty and put the ball where it went out of bounds [at the 20 yardline].

The rule reference is Rule 6-1-8.

Good Job!!!

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