Interesting play from this past weekend - Illegal kicking during free kick down.

[Steely Dan]

K kicks off from its own 40 and the bouncing ball comes to rest at the R-1 yd line.  With K players approaching quickly, R15 intentionally kicks the ball through and out of his own end zone.

What are K's options?

[sj]

K's choice are 1) Decline w/ R 1/10 @ R20 - or - 2) Accept w/ a re-kick from the 50


4-2-2-d-1 - The kick never ended so the ball was dead when it broke the plane of the R goal line.

2-13-4-a - The result of the play is a touchback because even though an illegal kick might provide a new force in some situations it doesn't here because force is not a factor on a kick that goes into the R end zone and the result is always a touchback

10-4-2-b - If accepted the penalty can only be enforced at the previous spot

[Steely Dan]

K's choice are 1) Decline w/ R 1/10 @ R20 - or - 2) Accept w/ a re-kick from the 50


4-2-2-d-1 - The kick never ended so the ball was dead when it broke the plane of the R goal line.

2-13-4-a - The result of the play is a touchback because even though an illegal kick might provide a new force in some situations it doesn't here because force is not a factor on a kick that goes into the R end zone and the result is always a touchback

10-4-2-b - If accepted the penalty can only be enforced at the previous spot

Nicely done sir.  That's what we came up with as well.   

[Ralph Damren]

Things that help to remember....

(1) A kick is a kick UNTIL it goes OOB or possession is gained.

(2) A kick is dead once it goes into'out of EZ =TB.

(3) No PSK enforcement on free kicks.

(4) RED SOX FOR AL FLAG 

[Steely Dan]

Things that help to remember....

(1) A kick is a kick UNTIL it goes OOB or possession is gained.

(2) A kick is dead once it goes into'out of EZ =TB.

(3) No PSK enforcement on free kicks.

(4) RED SOX FOR AL FLAG 

Same scenario but it's a punt instead of a kick off --> now it can be enforced from the spot of the foul (psk), 1st and 10 for R at their own 1/2 yard line correct?  No option for K to rekick.

[dch]

Help me, help me, help me.  I fully agree with SJ's initial response.  But, and this is a big BUT for me.  Rule 10-4-4-a  says the basic spot is the spot of the foul for illegal batting or illegal kicking.  Of course, there is no mention as to where the actual enforcement spot is.
And I still can't find an actual rule statement that tells me where to enforce a loose-ball foul beyond the line (or in this case beyond the spot of the free kick).  Lots of info about running plays but nothing I can find re loose-ball plays.  WTF !

[bama_stripes]

This play brings up an interesting conundrum: FED wants to eliminate the repeating of free kicks as much as possible to reduce potential injuries.  Yet in this play, K’s only viable option is a rekick after the 10-yard mark off.

Should rule 2-24-2 be modified so that a free kick ends when the kick comes to rest in the field of play, even if players are attempting to possess it?  This would allow R to be fairly penalized on this play.

[Steely Dan]

Help me, help me, help me.  I fully agree with SJ's initial response.  But, and this is a big BUT for me.  Rule 10-4-4-a  says the basic spot is the spot of the foul for illegal batting or illegal kicking.  Of course, there is no mention as to where the actual enforcement spot is.

10-4-4-a discusses illegal kicking or illegal batting fouls by A that occur behind the basic spot. Basically, the enforcement can be from spot of foul behind the line of scrimmage whereas almost all other A fouls behind the LOS are previous spot.  The example in the OP is a foul on R.

And I still can't find an actual rule statement that tells me where to enforce a loose-ball foul beyond the line (or in this case beyond the spot of the free kick).  Lots of info about running plays but nothing I can find re loose-ball plays

 

10-4-2

[dch]

my 10.4.2 doesn't say anything about a foul beyond the line of scrimmage during a loose ball play.

[bossman72]

This play brings up an interesting conundrum: FED wants to eliminate the repeating of free kicks as much as possible to reduce potential injuries.  Yet in this play, K’s only viable option is a rekick after the 10-yard mark off.

Should rule 2-24-2 be modified so that a free kick ends when the kick comes to rest in the field of play, even if players are attempting to possess it?  This would allow R to be fairly penalized on this play.

For as infrequently as this happens, it's not worth the effort of a rule change, IMO.

Otherwise you'd have to go to the NCAA rule where kicks are not immediately dead when breaking the plane.

[NVFOA_Ump]

More specifically 10.4.2.b in the 2026 rule book IMHO is the applicable rule here.  We have a free kick, therefore a loose ball play, as described in the OP.

[dch]

my 10.4.2b says foul that occurs behind the line of scrimmage during a loose-ball play.  This situation is a loose-ball play during a free kick down, therefore no line of scrimmage.
I am also confused about 10.4.4a that says the basic-spot is the spot of the foul for illegal kicking.

[sj]

my 10.4.2b says foul that occurs behind the line of scrimmage during a loose-ball play.  This situation is a loose-ball play during a free kick down, therefore no line of scrimmage.
I am also confused about 10.4.4a that says the basic-spot is the spot of the foul for illegal kicking.

You have an old book. 10-4-2-b has created problems for the last couple of years due to a change they had made. But for 2026, they finally removed the language about the foul having to be "behind the line of scrimmage" and it is better now. And with the way it reads now, it is the rule you would use for the play that's being talked about here.

10-4-4-a - You're not alone. Project for next year.

[dch]

Thank you sj.   

[NVFOA_Ump]

Here's the 2026 version of Rule 10, Section 4, Article 2.  As noted, Rule 10 continues to "evolve over time". 

[Fcardon]

What if he kicked it OOB at the 3 yardline?  Is it a free kick out of bounds?  Do we have offsetting fouls?

[ncwingman]

What if he kicked it OOB at the 3 yardline?  Is it a free kick out of bounds?  Do we have offsetting fouls?

No. It is a foul by K if the free kick goes out of bounds *untouched* by R. R's illegal kick would involve touching the ball. If the illegal kick foul is declined, it would be R's ball at the 3. If it's accepted, it's a rekick from the 50.