Let's Talk Free Kicks Out of Bounds

[ElvisLives]

Let's review NCAA rules regarding free kicks out of bounds.

-When a loose ball (from a kick or otherwise) touches anything that is not officially inbounds, the ball is out of bounds at that moment, and is dead. Not sure about other rule sets, but, for NCAA, the sideline is a LINE and not a PLANE. Even if the airborne live ball, itself, is fully over the field of play when it is touched by someone, or something, not officially inbounds - including a player contacting the ground out of bounds, or an airborne player who left the ground from out of bounds - the ball is then out of bounds, and dead. So, yes, a savvy Team B player could (and some have) step out of bounds before securing a ball, loose from a free kick, and successfully have an illegal kick out of bounds foul correctly ruled. As far as I know, the Rules Committee is aware of this condition, but have no desire to change anything.
-An inbounds player who reaches beyond a sideline or endline and touches a ball, loose from a free kick, that is over ground that is outside the sideline or endline, does not cause the ball to become dead. The touching may, or may not, be illegal touching (by Team A), depending on the location of the ball between the endlines, or if the ball has been touched by Team B. But, the location of the ball as being over the field of the play or over ground that is out-of-bounds is irrelevant.

There are four options for Team B if the ball, loose from Team A's free kick, is declared out of bounds, and untouched by Team B inbounds:
1) Accept a 5-yard penalty against Team A at the previous spot and repeat the kickoff;
2) Accept a five-yard penalty against Team A from the spot where the ball was declared dead, and be awarded a scrimmage series at the spot where the penalty leaves the ball;
3) Be awarded a scrimmage series 30-yards from the previous spot;
4) Decline the penalty, and be awarded a scrimmage series at the spot where the ball was declared dead.

If I missed something, feel free to pile on!

Just want to be sure those working NCAA rules know these rules.

[Ralph Damren]

We at NFHS have a proposal to chamge/correct this. In 2000 we corrected an unfair rule that flagged K if they were last to touch a free kick before it went OOB. A kick to midfield could be muffed by several players on both teams, but if last touched by K would draw a flag. We had case play and illustration showing that only if untouched by R would it become a foul. If the kick was still inbounds but became dead by being touched by OOB R, it would only be R's ball a spot where it became dead.

That has been my interpretation since 2000, however, the case play & illustration have disappeared over the years. I was the author of the change back in 2000, and hopefully will get NFHS support on this.

[ElvisLives]

We at NFHS have a proposal to chamge/correct this. In 2000 we corrected an unfair rule that flagged K if they were last to touch a free kick before it went OOB. A kick to midfield could be muffed by several players on both teams, but if last touched by K would draw a flag. We had case play and illustration showing that only if untouched by R would it become a foul. If the kick was still inbounds but became dead by being touched by OOB R, it would only be R's ball a spot where it became dead.

That has been my interpretation since 2000, however, the case play & illustration have disappeared over the years. I was the author of the change back in 2000, and hopefully will get NFHS support on this.

I don’t see an OB Team B player touching the ball, causing a foul for an illegal kick out of bounds, as being bad or wrong. I see it as even greater incentive for Team A not to kick the ball near the sideline. Keep it inbounds, and make B play the ball, or risk having A legally recover. Let’s have a play, and not a non-play, especially one that doesn’t take any clock time. I’d even go for a rule change to apply the 10-second subtraction to an illegal kick out of bounds with less than 2-minutes in the 2nd or 4th periods.
For NCAA, the rule is good as it is.

[Morningrise]

For NCAA, the rule is good as it is.

I would rather change the rule so that the untouched kick has to be not only OOB but also touching, partially over, or beyond the sideline; otherwise no foul. Don't let B put their toes on the sideline and lean way over to touch an inbounds ball. Incentivize them to return it for real.

[dammitbobby]

I agree with Elvis, I think the rule is fine as is... when you start changing core rule 2 definitions to mean something in one context, but something different in another (such as the ball is dead when touched by anyone or anything OOB or an official, except it's a free kick and a B team member is OOB but touches the ball, they automatically get possession, or for the ball to be dead, the ball must physically be over or touching a sideline. It just generates confusion and introduces more opportunity for errors.

JMO.

[Morningrise]

I don't want to change the definition of a loose ball OOB, I just want to change the circumstances that result in a flag for KOB. When a free kick goes OOB, sometimes it's a foul and sometimes it's not.

To be a foul:

1) It must not have been touched by an inbounds player of Team B
2) It must have "gone OOB between the goal lines" - which means one of these is true:
2a) it's dead outside the sideline and it crossed the sideline between the goal lines
2b) OR it's dead between the sidelines and between the goal lines

I just want to remove 2b). That's a rule 6 change only, it changes nothing in rule 2.