The truth is, we really don’t have 100% positive direction on WHEN it becomes a foul. But, the only AR related to this rule (6-1-2-VIII) has the kicker actually making contact with the ball with his foot. The ruling in that AR says nothing about exactly when to sound the whistle and stop the action. In that AR, the potential kicker is actually able to strike the ball with his foot before the action is stopped. That tells me that we need to let the action go until the potential kicker makes kicking contact with the ball.
Based on that, AND that 7-1-3-b fouls are, similarly, actions that become fouls when movement of the ball for an apparent snap begins (causing the ball to remain dead), I contend that we must let the action go until the moment the ball is acted upon to put it in play, which will allow Team A the maximum opportunity to avoid a foul by taking a charged team time out. But, if Shaw were to issue a ruling, AR, or edit the rule, for some other process, such as stopping the action and dropping a foul marker when a Team A player picks up the ball and moves it some significant distance and places it on the ground/tee, I would not have heartburn with that. Until then, I will sound my whistle, stop the action, and drop a foul marker when the potential kicker strikes the ball with his foot.
Of more concern, and was a point where at least one fellow official argued for a different result, is the location for the subsequent kick after the penalty for such an illegal kick has been completed. The differing official argued that Team A must put the ball in play at the spot where it was located for the original kick. His argument was based upon the fact that, for scrimmage downs, the succeeding spot or the previous spot are two-dimensional, i.e., the yard line AND the lateral position on/between the hash marks. For scrimmage downs, penalties that use those spots as the enforcement spot, will leave the ball at the same lateral location as it was when it was last declared ready for play.
On the other hand, I argued that 6-1-2-a allows Team A to locate the point of the kick anywhere they choose on/between the hash marks, even after an illegal kick penalty. (But, they can’t change that location after the first time they spot the ball after the ball is declared ready for play.)
To “cut to the chase,” I asked Shaw for a ruling, and he agreed that Team A is allowed to kick the ball from any point on/between the hash marks, even after a penalty for an illegal kick.
And that is what prompted this whole discussion.
End of story.
