NFL Rules for Kick Off Recovery

Kickoff recoveries are an exciting part of NFL games.

Every half of an NFL game begins with a kickoff, during which one team kicks the ball to the other to begin play. In addition, kickoffs take place after one team has scored, when that team returns possession to their opponents. The kicking team may have an opportunity to snatch the ball back in certain circumstances, denying their opponents a chance to score. Kickoff recoveries are uncommon, but can be one of the most exciting parts of an NFL game.

Kickoffs

Kickoffs consist of a ball placed on a tee or held by another player, then kicked towards the opposing team. (This differs from punts or kicks following a safety, in which the kicker holds the ball in his own hands before kicking it.) A kickoff needs to travel 10 yards or else be touched by the receiving team in order for it to be legal.

Recovery

If the ball comes into contact with a member of the receiving team after a kickoff, but he doesn’t demonstrate control of it, it’s a live football and players from the kicking team may recover it if they get their hands on it. However, they cannot advance the ball from the point where they recovered it. If a member of the receiving team demonstrates possession of the ball and loses it (for instance, when he’s tackled), the receiving team can recover the ball and advance it if they wish. If the ball goes out of bounds, it cannot be recovered by the kicking team; it becomes the receiver’s ball at the spot where it went out of bounds.

Onside Kicks

Onside kicks are a specific type of kickoff used to take advantage of the kickoff recovery rules. The kicking team lines up players who are very good with their hands, then kicks a bouncing sideways kick towards the other team. The hope is that it will make contact with a receiving player before he’s able to gain possession, turning it into a live ball. As with regular kickoffs, the kicking team cannot advance the ball once they recover it, but if they succeed, then they deny the other team the possession and thus a chance of scoring. Onside kicks don’t work very often, but the odds of recovery are greater than they would be for a standard kickoff, making them advantageous in times when the kicking team is desperate and needs a break (such as at the end of the game when they are losing, and don’t want the other team to bleed time off).

References

• NFL.com: Digest of Rules