Blocking by Kickers during onside kick

[Badger1]

Had a play occur last Friday evening during varsity high school game.  Kickers did onside kick and had a K team member block a Receiving team member beyond R's free kick line even though the ball had not yet traveled 10 yards, the Receiving team had not touched the ball nor initiated any block (they were actually caught off guard by the kick) and K wasn't eligible to recover it.  One of the crew members stated he felt the blocking restriction only applied to Kickers within that 10 yard neutral zone while the ball was still within the neutral zone and that blocking could still occur to the receiving team members who remained on their side of the free kick line (50 yd line) .  The block actually occurred by K on R's 48 yard line.

I believe the Kicking team is restricted from blocking in this instance anywhere on the field until such time as specified in Rule 9 Section 3 Article 8 a."The legal kick has traveled 10 yards; b. The kicking team is eligible to recover a free-kicked ball; or c. The receiving team initiates a block within the neutral zone."

[VALJ]

I'm with you.  Since the ball has not travelled 10 yards and touched the ground, nor has it been touched by R, K can not legally possess the ball.   

[FBUmp]

Your crew member is mistaken. 

If what he said were true, the K could block all the members on the side where the ball is kicked before the ball arrived, preventing them from recovering it. a K team member could come in behind the wall and recover the kick. That's one reason this rule was put in.

[Ralph Damren]

 ...re-kick from the 30 or decline the penalty and keep the ball - assuming R ended up with the ball.