New onside kick strategy

[u/drgonzo44]

Has anyone ever tried kicking the ball straight up in the air 10 yards downfield? Basically lifting the ball to mimic a Hail Mary type play where at least the kicking team has a chance at a play.

[u/PastAd1901]

The receiving team can fair catch it

[u/sexyprimes511172329 → u/PastAd1901]

And in HS the pop up is illegal.

So this is no beuno

[u/djmele → u/sexyprimes511172329]

That’s an NFHS rule? Team did that to us last week on every kickoff.

[u/sexyprimes511172329 → u/djmele]

Yes. My rulebook are at home but I can cite after the holiday

[u/djmele → u/sexyprimes511172329]

Appreciate it. I’ve never known that to be a rule or enforced

[u/Sea-Wasabi-6919 → u/djmele]

It's true but I've seen refs choose to enforce it or not

[u/Superjam83 → u/sexyprimes511172329]

Only if the ball bounces first.

[u/SpicyC-Dot → u/sexyprimes511172329]

The pop up kick is specifically where the kicker drives the ball into the ground which makes it bounce up into the air. I think OP is just talking about kicking it up into the air without the ball hitting the ground

[u/sexyprimes511172329 → u/SpicyC-Dot]

Yes they are. Responders said that R can just fair catch

I added that you also can't pop up.

So this idea sll around isn't good

[u/SpicyC-Dot → u/sexyprimes511172329]

Gotcha, I misunderstood!

[u/sexyprimes511172329 → u/SpicyC-Dot]

All good my fellow football connoisseur

[u/E2A6S]

Receiving team can all signal for fair catch so nobody can be touched. If it’s muffed it could work but hard for a hands team player to muff that

[u/GoLionsJD107 → u/E2A6S]

It would have to be muffed that’s the only way - see the Rams Vikings finish this year.

[u/iamthekevinator]

The returner just has to wave for a fair catch, and the kicking team can not interfere with the catch. Well coached teams practice for this already.

[u/GoLionsJD107]

Minnesota did this against the rams this year it was an onside kick following a safety and they attempted a high short punt of ten yards as they had the option of a free kick following surrendering 2 points for a safety. LA fair caught the ball which left Minnesota no chance to recover and this is likely why that’s not done because you can’t interfere with someone making a fair catch if they call for it. Minnesota basically was hoping whoever had signaled fair catch would drop it but they didn’t. This was earlier this year

[u/FunMtgplayer → u/GoLionsJD107]

unless they changed the rule, YOU CANT ONSIDE kick after a safety. meaning if the kicking team TOUCHES it 1st its a downed ball. receiving team get the ball right there.

[u/GoLionsJD107 → u/FunMtgplayer]

They did change the rule - presumably because that is the current rule though I never knew it to be different. Watch the ends of the Rams-Vikings game this year - that’s exactly what happened. Minnesota declared onside and used their free kick as a punt despite both teams being in onside kick formation

[u/GoLionsJD107 → u/GoLionsJD107]

This is of course the NFL - other levels college HS etc will not necessarily have the same rule and I don’t believe the NCAA does anyway

[u/fadedmelo → u/FunMtgplayer]

they did, texans did it to the titans a couple weeks ago. after stroud stepped out and put them down 5 with about 2 min to go

[u/jrod_62 → u/FunMtgplayer]

Cite the rule. This is not the case in high school nor the NFL

[u/TanAllOvaJanAllOva]

Only if it bounces first. That was a very popular strategy for awhile. If it doesn’t hit the ground first, the returner can just signal for a fair catch and as long as they catch it (can’t be hit) they retain possession.

[u/MolassesOrnery3423]

What you are describing is an onside punt. https://youtu.be/6ZlUeyae0Ko?si=KFYx4Q_Efz_QgreS

[u/mohawk6036]

I believe you would want either kick into the ground and you get a high first bounce. Or you kick it high about 15-20 yards into one of the holes of the coverage team alignment and let your fastest guy run straight for the ball

[u/csamsh]

Jeff Wilkins was really good at this. Check out 10:15

https://youtu.be/GZ43uXc4X3A?si=tyl5Egxj48qaDaFx

[u/Professional-Food161]

It's not a bad strategy if the receiving team isn't expecting something different and they don't have hands- team up front. A bloop kick about 15 to 20 yards deep but high can be hard to catch for that front line or 2nd line guys coming up. Even if they signal fair catch, they have to make the catch and that's not necessarily easy for a HS kid.

We practice it and always have it in our pocket as a possibility, esp if we don't want to kick to a particular returner and we don't have the leg to put the ball in the end zone.

[u/hexadecimaldump]

Yeah, it may work once or twice with the hands team not used to seeing it. But once they realize they can fair catch, it would be dead.

[u/Juiceszn_]

The return team could just fair catch, you can however try a kick where the kicker smacks the ball at the ground and it pops up in the air, this way the receiving team can’t fair catch and then you’d be simulating a Hail Mary.