Free kick after Fair Catch

[Stinterp]

Team A chooses to free kick after a fair catch.  Can Team A on-side kick and recover the ball for a 1st and 10, or do they have to try to kick a field goal?

[ncwingman]

I guess they could... but it's already their ball that they can put in play with a snap instead.

Why would they?

[PABJNR]

They haven't got a first down all night and figure it's their best shot to move the ball..... Seriously though it has all attributes of any other free kick except it can score points


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[Rulesman]

They haven't got a first down all night and figure it's their best shot to move the ball...

The coach that thought that up probably should be looking for another line of work.

[ncwingman]

Weirdness of the deliberate onsides aside -- this does have actual implications in more realistic scenarios.

If K lines up for the 70 yard fair catch free kick and it's very short, not making it to the end zone -- that's a live ball and K can recover if R thinks it's being treated as a regular field goal and avoids touching the kick.

[Rulesman]

I just love these what-ifs that will never happen. How many high school kickers do you know that can kick it 70 yards with some semblance of accuracy?  And to think a coach would give up possession for a pipe dream is ludicrous. Even Kevin Kelley at Pulaski Academy in Little Rock isn’t that crazy. And he does some crazy things.

[ncwingman]

I didn't say it was very realistic.... but maybe slightly more plausible, a lot closer, but the kicker just mishits the ball and ends up getting no air and almost squibs it.

Clearly the FG attempt will not score, but it's not a scrimmage kick. As much confusion will reign if a fair catch free kick ever gets used, I'm sure one or both teams will likely not know what to do if the kick is no good.

[Ralph Damren]

I don't feel it would be considered "coaching" if we in informed the return team : "THIS IS JUST LIKE A KICKOFF THAT CAN SCORE, SO BE READY." IMHO, this would be a rare situation and we need to insure that both teams and our crewmates are all on the same page.

[J12]

I could easily see a team doing that from a strategy standpoint.  Your guys (presumably) have been taught what to do while the other team could easily be standing around bewildered as to what is going on.  I've often also thought that a team could use a scrimmage kick field goal attempt as a punt.  Most high school kids are going to think ("as seen on TV") that the missed field comes back to the point of kick.  They're likely not going to try to return it as they would a punt. It makes it easy for your guys to get down there and down it.

[Ralph Damren]

Possible situation : A 's Bubba call for fair catch at own one....A's coach would be happy just getting the ball out of deep in their own territory....rather than chancing a blocked punt, elects to free kick....A's coach then kicks Bubba in the butt.