Question for you rulebook gurus.

[thf24]

In the Colts/Titans game a few minutes ago, Indy kicked a surprise onside kick high in the air. A Titan jumped jumped to field it, but a cover guy hit him out of the way and another Indy player ran under it and caught it. The ball never hit the ground or touched a Titan. That's got to be some kind of interference, right? I thought a big reason you try to make onside kicks skip off the ground is to avoid any kind of fielding interference that could occur. If what Indy did is legal, I don't see why teams don't kick short skyrockets like that a lot more often instead of the low skippers usually attempted.

 

[drt7891]

Should be either an illegal block or kick-catch interference. In high school, you can't engage a block until the kick is fielded.

 

[Villagedawg]

In high school on a free kick, kicking team can't block until the ball has traveled 10 yards, K is eligible to recover, or R initiates the block. It has nothing to do with the kick being fielded. In the above situation, it sounds like kick catching interference. Watch the replay. The ball may have bounced off the ground. If so, no foul.

 

[Dawghouse]

If I'm not mistaken the reason you try to bounce it off the ground is to take the fair catch out of play.

 

[patdog]

I think the kicking team has as much right to the ball as the receiving team on kickoffs, unless the receiving team signals for a fair catch.

 

[dawgatUSM]

I THINK this is right. But I'm not positive.

 

[llmsudawg]

It's a free ball once it touches the ground.

 

[patdog]

1. 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.

Link

 

[drt7891]

You are correct. It's been several years since I've read the rulebook.