if a team kicks the ball 40 yards they can touch it and down it. But on an onside kick they can kick more than 10 yards and revcover it. Neither depend on the receiving team to touch the ball.
2007-12-23 15:28:16 · 13 answers · asked by alarmsrus 1 in Sports ➔ Football (American)
On a kickoff the ball is live when it passes 10 yards. If you are thinking of a punt that is down when the kicking team touches it
2007-12-23 15:31:36 · answer #1 · answered by Vikingsron2 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes a kicking team will kick a "squib" kick that travels 30 - 40 yards but bounces, in the hope that the kicking team can recover, but if they don't the ball will be at the receiving team's 30-40, not at midfield as is the case with an onside kick that is not recovered.
But as has been pointed out, a kickoff after a touchdown or field goal or at the beginning of a half is a free ball once it has travelled 10 yards. You always will see the receiving team pick it up, even if only to take a knee in the end zone.
Angling a punt out of bounds inside the 20 is an art form. Kicking a kick off out of bounds is a penalty and the ball is placed at the 40.
2007-12-23 23:58:15 · answer #2 · answered by mattapan26 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A kickoff is a live ball, onside or otherwise. For the kicking team to get possesion the ball must travel a minimum of 10 yards OR be touched by a member of the receiving team. That means that technically the ball can fall off the tee be touched by the receiving team and be recovered by the kicking team
2007-12-23 23:40:44 · answer #3 · answered by downie_d 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A kickoff is a live ball play. If it is touched by the kicking team before it goes 10 yards the kicking team in penelized 10 yards ad they have to rekick. If the kicking team recovers the ball at any point after 10 yards they keep posession of the ball. so the kickig team can never "down" the ball like they can on a punt
2007-12-24 02:34:10 · answer #4 · answered by DEA5252 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
On a onside kick The ball is kicked short but hard, For the kicking team to recover the ball it has to touch a recieving team player 1st ( as in any kick ) Why would a kicking team want to do a onside kick and down the ball thus giving the recieving team good field position?
2007-12-23 23:35:15 · answer #5 · answered by randy9089 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Any time a kickoff goes further than 10 yards -whether its just 10 yards or it's 60 yards - it's a live ball and the kicking team can recover. There is no downing a ball by the kicking team on a kickoff, only on punts.
2007-12-23 23:41:06 · answer #6 · answered by DoReidos 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
On an onside kick and any kickoff in fact the ball must travel ten yards before the kicking team can recover it.
Hm, titans1114 is right. You did answer your own question.
2007-12-23 23:33:48 · answer #7 · answered by JCam 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If I understand it right, there IS no maximum distance. If you kick it all the way to the other end zone, and the receiving team never picks it up, it's live and you can recover it. You just never see it happen because the receiving team isn't going to be stupid enough to just let the kickers run sixty yards downfield and pick it up.
2007-12-23 23:32:46 · answer #8 · answered by KCbus 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Unless the receiving team touches the ball, the team that kicks cannot recover it. Kicking team touches the ball, it is in play by receiving team at that point....exception is if ball goes in end zone then it is brought out to 20yd line and is put in play by receiving team.
2007-12-23 23:40:24 · answer #9 · answered by birdbayboy 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The ball must travel at least ten feet,before the kicking team can touch the ball
2007-12-23 23:35:13 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋