On Side Kick Legall?

[FLAHL]

Had this last night:  11 K players go to the near hash and huddle. As they break the huddle, 10 hustle to the far hash to line up and one walks to K’s sideline, stays on the field, but turns to face the sideline.  After the RFP, K attempts an onside kick to the lone player near the sideline.

Rule book says “Football has been and will continue to be a game of deception and trickery involving multiple shifts, unusual formations and creative plays; however, actions and language designed to confuse the defense into believing there is a problem and a snap isn’t imminent are beyond the scope of fair play.”

But there was no attempt to make R believe a snap (kick) wasn’t imminent.  There was also no communication between the sideline and the player near the sideline. The rule requiring all players to be inside the numbers after the RFP doesn’t apply to kickoffs.

Is this legal?

[bama_stripes]

Unless this was using a substitution or pretended substitution to deceive, I’d say it was legal.  R certainly had ample opportunity to see and cover this player.

[CalhounLJ]

I’m assuming there was 4 players on each side of the ball?


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[FLAHL]

I’m assuming there was 4 players on each side of the ball?

Great question Calhoun. I left that part out of the OP because I first wanted opinions on the play IF everything else was legal. As the K approached the ball, I counted and I can’t be sure that they were illegal. I’m curious to see HUDL and view it again.  The coach asked about the play during pregame, and used it to start the second half. He told the LJ it was coming, so we were prepared. Even with that warning, I can’t be positive if they had 4. I don’t like having responsibility for that call from 60 yards away.

K was behind 21-0 when they tried this, and the kick went OOB, so R got the ball. The play didn’t have an impact on the game, but I’m still curious about the legality. Sounds like you and Bama are ok with it. We were too in pregame, with the usual warnings about everything being perfect on a trick play like this.

[Ralph Damren]

IMHO, "walking toward the sideline....turning to face the sideline..." would be a pretended substitution and supported by 9-6-4d for IP.

IMHO, the Patriots were going to beat the Lions last night .

[Ralph Damren]

In 1954 , NFHS adjusted their code in an attempt to prohibit all "hideout plays". In 2001, as a then member of the Editorial Committee, I was asked to write a case attempting to eliminate trick plays that were sprouting off the "..not really football, but..." limb of our football tree. I wrote what is now 9.9.1B in an attempt to illustrate that trick plays of this nature were not what football should be about. You'll never see a laundry list of such illegal plays, for if you listed 100 than some coach would come up with #101. IMHO, the original topic would have rule support under 9-6-4d for an IP flag. The rationale for this being an IP and not a USC foul is making this a live ball foul would result in live ball enforcement. In my "where's the tee..." case, the tee might really be missing. If not, shut the play down with the snap with a USC.

IMHO, high school football is fun for officials, fans, and coaches alike.

IMHO, high school football is a lesson in life skills for the players. It teaches them teamwork. No sport requires teammate timing as much -well maybe sync. swimming. It develops the spirit and challenges of fair play. Teaching the players how to bend the rules, to me, is a form of cheating and not a good lesson to teach. There's enough creative plays in football that we should try to keep those that cross the line out of our game.

IMHO, we can all tell when that line is crossed.

IMHO, the Red Sox are the best team in baseball.

That's my rant for the day...now back to me before mentioned salad...