Rule 6

1
Rule 6

• Kicking the Ball and Fair Catch

2
Section 1The Kickoff and Other Free Kicks

• Yard lines for free kicks
• 40 yard line for kickoffs
• 20 yard line after a safety
• Yard line through spot for fair catch or awarded
  fair catch.

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Section 1

• Free kick from any point between the inbounds
  lines and the free kick line. Once designated ,
  K must kick from that spot.
• It is a dead ball when K recovers or catches
• free kick. May recover free kick if it goes
  beyond Rs line and touches ground. May recover
  free kick if touched by R .

4
Section 1

• If any K player touches a free kick before it
  crosses Rs free kick line and before it is
  touched there by any R player, it is referred to
  as first touching.
• Options for R are taking ball at first touching
  spot or the results of the action after first
  touching.

5
Section 1

• A free kick is not repeated unless
• Foul occurs prior to change of possession and
  the penalty acceptance requires a replay of the
  down.
• There is a double foul.
• There is an inadvertent whistle during kick.

6
Section 1

• Options for R when free kick is kicked out of
  bounds between the goal lines.
• Five yard penalty from previous spot and
  re-kick.
• Put ball in play at the inbounds spot 25 yards
  from the previous spot.
• Decline penalty and put ball in play at the in
  bounds spot.

7
Section 2

• Scrimmage kicks consist of punts, drop kicks or
  place kick in or behind the neutral
• zone before team possession has changed.
• Any K player may catch or recover a scrimmage
  kick while it is in or behind the neutral zone
  and advance, unless it is during a try.

8
Section 2

• K may catch or recover a scrimmage kick while it
  is beyond the neutral zone, provided kick has
  been touched by R.
• First touching options are the same as on a free
  kick.
• Touching of a low scrimmage kick by any player is
  ignored if the touching is in or behind the
  expanded neutral zone.

9
Section 3

• It is a touchback if any free kick or scrimmage
  kick
• Which is not a scoring attempt or which is a
  grounded three-point field-goal attempt, breaks
  the plane of Rs goal line, unless R chooses a
  spot of first touching.

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Section 5Fair Catch

• Any R player may signal for a fair catch while
  any legal kick is in flight. Player making valid
  or invalid fair catch signal is prohibited from
  blocking until kick ends.
• Ball becomes dead on a fair catch.
• Only receiver giving a fair catch signal is
  afford protection. If another receiver catches
  kick it is not a fair catch, but ball is dead.

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Section 5

• No receiver may advance the ball after a valid or
  invalid fair catch signal has been given by any
  receiver.
• When kicks are in flight beyond the neutral zone,
  K may not
• Touch the ball or R, unless blocked into the
  ball or R.
• Obstruct Rs path to the ball

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Section 5

• Exceptions K may catch, touch, muff or bat a
  scrimmage kick in flight beyond the neutral zone
  if no player of R is in position to catch the
  ball.
• R may not give an invalid fair catch signal.
• Runner my not give an illegal fair catch signal.

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Penalties

• Free kicks
• Encroachment
• Kicking out of bounds.
• Scrimmage kicks
• Illegal kick
• Fair catch
• Blocking after giving a valid or invalid fair
  catch signal.

14
Penalties

• Advancing after giving a fair catch signal
• (valid or invalid) is delay of game.
• Kick-catching interference has options of a 15
  yard penalty from previous spot and replay down
  or accept penalty of awarded
• fair catch at the spot of foul.
• Invalid or illegal fair catch signals.

15
Other penalties

• Illegal blocks
• Illegal use of hands or holding