Moving ball after RFP on kickoff

[cwag]

Friday night Texas HS game NCAA rules.  As B, I hand ball to the kicker and he tees it up in the center of the field.  I tell him he can go after the R blows his whistle.  I run to sideline, R blows ready, kicker picks up the ball and moves the the left hash.  I didn't like it, but did not stop him.  He kicks OOB and we have a re-kick.  I didn't say anything to the kicker because I could not think of a particular rule that would cover that situation.  So needless to say the exact same thing happens again, except for kick OOB.  This is week eight, so I'm sure they have been doing this all year.

I asked a few guys about the situation and all say that the kicker should not be able to do that.  I ask where is that found in the rules and no one can come up with the reference.  So any help with this is greatly appreciated.

[TXMike]

The reason you can't find anything that prohibits it is that it is not prohibited.   Anytime you wonder if something is allowed or not and you can't find anything that says it is allowed. There was a team once that considered (don't know if they ever did it or not) a play where the kicker runs to the ball, picks it up and passes it to the other side where another kid catches it, puts it on ground and onside kicks it.  Perfectly legal

[Kalle]

There is no rule prohibiting this. Otherwise a drop kick would be illegal.

[Arbitrator]

Absolutely nothing illegal about it. But the "shot clock" continues to run all while he is moving the ball just prior to his actually kicking the football!   

[InsideTheStripes]

I asked a few guys about the situation and all say that the kicker should not be able to do that.  I ask where is that found in the rules and no one can come up with the reference.  So any help with this is greatly appreciated.

I think the reference is in the FED book (6-1-2).  Since you weren't using that code, I'd stick with no foul.

[Osric Pureheart]

What may be confusing people are the other situations when a team has an option about where the ball will be put in play; after a touchback and on a try down.  In those situations, the ball can't be moved after the RFP (unless X, Y or Z happens), so by extension, it seems like you shouldn't be able to tee up a free kick and then move the football.

[cwag]

What may be confusing people are the other situations when a team has an option about where the ball will be put in play; after a touchback and on a try down.  In those situations, the ball can't be moved after the RFP (unless X, Y or Z happens), so by extension, it seems like you shouldn't be able to tee up a free kick and then move the football.

You're mentioning "by extension" is why this bothered me in the beginning.  I know that there is no specific rule that covers this situation, but the other situations definitely came to mind when it happened.

Thanks to all for your input.

[940AC]

The reason you can't find anything that prohibits it is that it is not prohibited.   Anytime you wonder if something is allowed or not and you can't find anything that says it is allowed. There was a team once that considered (don't know if they ever did it or not) a play where the kicker runs to the ball, picks it up and passes it to the other side where another kid catches it, puts it on ground and onside kicks it.  Perfectly legal

Just want to clarify. Kick must be between the hashes on free kick. Correct?

[Kalle]

Just want to clarify. Kick must be between the hashes on free kick. Correct?

Yup.