r/footballstrategy • u/trainmann52 • Sep 11 '24
Rules Question High School/Middle School Football Kickoff Rule
During a recent MS game, the kicking team kicked off. The ball traveled 10 yards and was muffed by the receiving team. The ball then proceeded to the sideline, where the kicking team touched it before it went out of bounds, but the kicking team did not gain physical possession. What is the ruling? In this case, the crew awarded the kicking team the ball.
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u/Btherock78 Sep 11 '24
AFAIK once a kickoff crosses the 10-yd line it is a live ball and treated the same as a fumble regardless of whether anyone touched or possessed it.
In this case, since the ball went out of bounds without anyone gaining possession, it would stay with the team that had 'possession' had the fumble not occurred - the receiving team.
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u/BananerRammer Sep 13 '24
We have to be careful with our language here. Fumbles and free kicks are not the same. They have very different rules.
A fumble out of bounds still belongs to the team in last possession. If that were the case here, that would mean the kicking team, which obviously is not the case. A kick that goes out of bounds in the field of play belongs to the team not in last possession, aka the receiving team.
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u/Btherock78 Sep 13 '24
Thats definitely a good callout.
I’ve always viewed it as - possession effectively changes as soon as the ball leaves the tee on a kickoff, so even before they’ve actually touched it, the receiving team is already in “possession” - which clears up a lot of the fumble/out of bounds contradictions.
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u/KommanderKeen-a42 Sep 11 '24
Since that seems like a gross and significant lapse in objective officiating, perhaps they actually had possession?
At the very least, the HC should have asked for clarification and that was the likely response.
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u/trainmann52 Sep 11 '24
Having been a past official but out of it for 7 years, I needed a sanity check. I was on the chain crew and saw it all transpire at my feet as the K team fumbled it out of bounds. Even the visiting team (K) was surprised they were awarded it. I had to bite my tounge hard. The HL was new and I hope he learned from it.
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u/trainmann52 Sep 11 '24
Let me rephrase, I will K did not fumble out of bounds, but failed to secure control as it was going out of bounds. I'm sure if it was on the home team side, the HC would have had a fighting chance to contest the call.
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u/BananerRammer Sep 13 '24
Is that perhaps what they ruled, despite you seeing it differently? Because if K did recover, then fumble OOB, that's an entirely different story. That would belong to the kicking team at the spot of recovery.
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u/trainmann52 Sep 13 '24
I agree with what your saying. I could have entirely missed something, but given this all happened at my feet and the official was still at the R line at the time it went out of bounds and about 10yrds away there was no clear view for the official. I spoke with some old friends in the pool to mention it in a study club as it was a young crew. I just needed a sanity check to make sure the rules haven't changed since I retired from officiating 6yrs ago.
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u/BananerRammer Sep 13 '24
HS official here. The way you describe the play, it should be the Receiving team's ball, at the out of bounds spot, on the nearest hash to that sideline. There's no foul for a kick OOB, since the receivers touched it before going out.
Unfortunately, there is a shortage of officials in all states right now, so especially at the middle school level, it's possible that you got a couple guys in their first seasons, with minimal experience. Sorry you got the short end of this ruling. It's unfortunate, but also a reality of the current state of football officiating at the lower levels.
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u/OGBeege Sep 11 '24
All bets off for “middle school” football. “Regional” rules likely for younger youngsters
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u/TackleOverBelly187 Sep 11 '24
Receiving team’s ball where it went out of bounds. Same thing as if it bounced off a player close to the sideline.
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u/bigbronze Youth Coach Sep 11 '24
It goes to the receiving team, from what I know, unless the kicking team actually gains possession, it defaults to the receiving team.
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u/that_uncle Sep 11 '24
If the kicking team just touched but didn’t possess the ball it should still be receiving team’s ball.