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Football Officiating => National Federation Discussion => Topic started by: tripleoption on April 13, 2021, 08:52:36 AM

Title: Pop-Up Kick Interpretation
Post by: tripleoption on April 13, 2021, 08:52:36 AM
Gentlemen,

I am looking for an interpretation of the "Pop-up kick" rule. I am aware that a pop up is illegal because it is driven into the ground and therefore cannot be fair caught.

However, I was wondering about a "pop up" that never hits the ground and is basically "chipped" up like using a sand wedge in golf.

The ball WOULD be eligible to be fair caught, but if the receiving team isn't coached properly, they would not do so, and the kicking team would be able to run under it and catch it by high pointing the ball in the air.

This kick is / was legal under NCAA rules and I have seen it executed properly and successfully many times.

Thanks in advance.
Title: Re: Pop-Up Kick Interpretation
Post by: AlUpstateNY on April 13, 2021, 09:51:51 AM
Gentlemen,

I am looking for an interpretation of the "Pop-up kick" rule. I am aware that a pop up is illegal because it is driven into the ground and therefore cannot be fair caught. However, I was wondering about a "pop up" that never hits the ground and is basically "chipped" up like using a sand wedge in golf. The ball WOULD be eligible to be fair caught, but if the receiving team isn't coached properly, they would not do so, and the kicking team would be able to run under it and catch it by high pointing the ball in the air.
This kick is / was legal under NCAA rules and I have seen it executed properly and successfully many times.
kick

NFHS 2-24-10 defines a "Pop-Up", which includes the requirement of the ball being "driven into the ground".  For K to legally recover a Free Kick, it must have BOTH touched the ground & gone beyond the plane of R's free-kick line (NFHS:6-1-6)

NFHS: 6-5-6 describes Kick-Catching Interference (Including the "Exception")
Title: Re: Pop-Up Kick Interpretation
Post by: tripleoption on April 13, 2021, 10:09:51 AM
So I would take it that the kick itself is not illegal, however the act of touching it before the Receiving team is.

OK, disappointing but thank you.
Title: Re: Pop-Up Kick Interpretation
Post by: ncwingman on April 13, 2021, 11:05:02 AM
So I would take it that the kick itself is not illegal, however the act of touching it before the Receiving team is.

OK, disappointing but thank you.

More than just touching the kick before R, K cannot interfere with R's ability to catch the kick in flight -- thus, kick catch interference.

If the kick is short and high with R88 looking up at the ball, K cannot touch the ball *or* R88 *or* obstruct R's path towards the ball. Any violation of this is KCI and is illegal. If it's a "pop-up" kick, R is not afforded the KCI protections once the kick is grounded. K could essentially hit R88 with impunity while his focus was on the ball that had bounced high in the air, which is a safety issue and why the pop-up kick is now illegal when it is kicked as to not give K a "free shot" at R.
Title: Re: Pop-Up Kick Interpretation
Post by: Ralph Damren on April 13, 2021, 07:04:44 PM
Welcome, Tripleoption, to our forum. I hope you find it both interesting and informative. I assume from your handle and your disappointment on your 2nd post that you may be a coach. We welcome coaches and will enjoy your opinions. We were faced with a decision to make on the pop-up kick, either to allow it to be fair-caught even though it had been grounded or to make it illegal. To allow a fair catch would be an exception. Exceptions tend to cause complexity, making it illegal did not.
Title: Re: Pop-Up Kick Interpretation
Post by: Curious on April 15, 2021, 02:24:53 PM
Hey, y'all...a pop-up kick is, in effect, a dead ball foul and should be blown dead immediately (6.1.11).  A 5yd penalty is enforced from the previous spot - unless declined and the kick is then repeated from the 40.

Anything that happens after is mute (unless there is a personal foul)
Title: Re: Pop-Up Kick Interpretation
Post by: AlUpstateNY on May 05, 2021, 10:06:29 AM
Hey, y'all...a pop-up kick is, in effect, a dead ball foul and should be blown dead immediately (6.1.11).  A 5yd penalty is enforced from the previous spot - unless declined and the kick is then repeated from the 40.

Anything that happens after is mute (unless there is a personal foul)

Confirmation can be found in Case Book 6.1.11: "K executes a "Pop-Up" from the K40 in a Free-kick situation. RULING: The play is immediately blown dead, K is penalized for a Free-kick infraction and, if the penalty is accepted. must re-kick from the K35. If the distance penalty is declined, K shall rekick from the K40".