Free Kick Formation
ARTICLE 2.
a. A ball from a free kick formation must be kicked legally and from some point on Team A’s restraining line (Exception: Rule 6-1-2c-4) and on or between the hash marks. The referee will declare the ball ready for play when the officials are in position after the kicker has received the ball. After the ready-for-play signal, the ball may only be relocated after a charged timeout or during a subsequent kick.
PENALTY—Dead ball foul. Illegal kick. Five yards from the previous spot [S7 and S19].
Approved Ruling 6-1-2 I. The ball is kicked while teed illegally, punted on a kickoff or kicked from a spot between the hash mark and the nearer sideline. RULING: Illegal kick. Dead-ball foul. Penalty—Five yards from the succeeding spot (Rule 2-16-1b).
b. After the ball has been made ready for play, all players on the kicking team except the kicker must be no more than five yards behind their restraining line. A player satisfies this rule when one foot is on or beyond the line five yards behind the restraining line. If one player is more than five yards behind the restraining line and any other player kicks the ball, it is a foul for an illegal formation.
Approved Ruling 6-1-2 VII. Team A is in its formation to kick off at the A-35. Two players, A33 and A66, are positioned in a four-point stance with their feet on the A-29 and their hands on the A-31. The untouched kick hits the ground in Team B’s end zone and is declared dead. RULING: Touchback. Team A foul, illegal formation. Team B has two options for accepting the penalty: Put the ball in play at the B-30, after a five-yard penalty at the spot (the B-25) where the dead ball belongs to them; or have Team A re-kick at the A-30. (Rule 6-1-8)
c. When the ball is kicked:
Approved Ruling 6-1-2 I. The ball is kicked while teed illegally, punted on a kickoff or kicked from a spot between the hash mark and the nearer sideline. RULING: Illegal kick. Dead-ball foul. Penalty—Five yards from the succeeding spot (Rule 2-16-1b).
Approved Ruling 6-1-2 II. Kicker A11 places the ball on the tee in the center of the field for a free kick with four teammates to the left side of the ball and six teammates to the right side of the ball. The ball blows off the tee. A55, who was lined up to the left of the ball, then holds the ball on the tee for right-footed kicker A11. No other Team A players move. When the ball is kicked by A11, A55 is to the kicker’s right. RULING: Foul by Team A for illegal formation at the kick. Penalty—Five yards from the previous spot or five yards from the spot where the subsequent dead ball belongs to Team B.
Approved Ruling 6-1-2 III. Free-kicker A11 places the ball on the tee just inside the hash mark line on his right. All of his teammates line up to his left. At the ready for play, four Team A players who were on A11’s left run to their right and are in the area to A11’s right when he kicks the ball. RULING: Legal formation.
Approved Ruling 6-1-2 IV. A11 places the ball on the tee for a free kick on the 35-yard line in the center of the field. A12 lines up near the ball. After the ready for play, A11 starts forward as if to kick the ball, and A12 suddenly crosses in front of him and kicks the ball. When the ball is kicked, A11 is directly behind the ball with three teammates on one side of the ball. A12 plants his non-kicking foot on the same side of the ball as his three teammates. RULING: Foul by Team A for illegal formation. Penalty—Five yards from the previous spot, and rekick if Team B chooses; or five yards from the spot where the subsequent dead ball belongs to Team B.
1. Each Team A player, except the holder and kicker of a place kick, must be behind the ball [S18].
Approved Ruling 6-1-2 V. Team A is offside during its free kick. B27 has his knee on the ground when he recovers the kick. RULING: Foul by Team A for offside. The ball is dead at the spot of the recovery. Penalty—Team B may choose five yards from the previous spot and another free kick, or five yards from the dead-ball spot with a first and 10. B27’s recovery started a running play that ended immediately. This scenario also would have been valid if B27 had completed a fair catch.
2. All Team A players must be inbounds [S19].
3. At least four Team A players must be on each side of the kicker [S19].
Approved Ruling 6-1-2 II. Kicker A11 places the ball on the tee in the center of the field for a free kick with four teammates to the left side of the ball and six teammates to the right side of the ball. The ball blows off the tee. A55, who was lined up to the left of the ball, then holds the ball on the tee for right-footed kicker A11. No other Team A players move. When the ball is kicked by A11, A55 is to the kicker’s right. RULING: Foul by Team A for illegal formation at the kick. Penalty—Five yards from the previous spot or five yards from the spot where the subsequent dead ball belongs to Team B.
Approved Ruling 6-1-2 III. Free-kicker A11 places the ball on the tee just inside the hash mark line on his right. All of his teammates line up to his left. At the ready for play, four Team A players who were on A11’s left run to their right and are in the area to A11’s right when he kicks the ball. RULING: Legal formation.
Approved Ruling 6-1-2 IV. A11 places the ball on the tee for a free kick on the 35-yard line in the center of the field. A12 lines up near the ball. After the ready for play, A11 starts forward as if to kick the ball, and A12 suddenly crosses in front of him and kicks the ball. When the ball is kicked, A11 is directly behind the ball with three teammates on one side of the ball. A12 plants his non-kicking foot on the same side of the ball as his three teammates. RULING: Foul by Team A for illegal formation. Penalty—Five yards from the previous spot, and rekick if Team B chooses; or five yards from the spot where the subsequent dead ball belongs to Team B.
Approved Ruling 6-1-2 IX Free Kick @ A-35. Late in the game with the kicking team trailing by 2 points, they set up for an on-side kick. The kicking team has 6 players to the left of the kicker and 4 to the right of the kicker. Kicker A90 is lined up to kick the ball to the left side of the formation and as A90 approaches the ball he abruptly stops but the kicking team players to the left of the kicker continue and cross their restraining line. These players stop and then retreat back across their restraining line and A90 quickly turns and kicks the ball back to the right side of the formation with all players for Team A now back behind their restraining line. RULING: Dead ball foul, five-yard penalty from the succeeding spot. By rule (6-1-2c) each Team A player, except the kicker and potential holder, must be behind the ball when the ball is kicked. If they are beyond the ball and the ball is kicked – this is a live ball foul for offside on a kickoff. By interpretation, if a Team A player goes beyond their restraining line after the ball is ready for play and then returns back across their restraining line before the ball is kicked – this is a dead ball foul for offside by the kicking team. This interpretation does not impact situations when the ball falls from the tee (Rule 6-1-2d). When the ball falls from the tee, the official shall sound their whistle immediately and reset both teams.
4. After a safety, when a punt or drop kick is used, the ball may be kicked from behind the kicking team’s restraining line. If a yardage penalty for a live-ball foul is enforced from the previous spot, administration is from the 20-yard line, unless the kicking team’s restraining line has been relocated by a previous penalty [S18 or appropriate signal].
5. All players of Team A must have been between the nine-yard marks after the ready-for-play signal [S19].
PENALTY [b-c5]—Live-ball foul. Five yards from the previous spot, or five yards from the spot where the subsequent dead ball belongs to Team B, or from the spot where the ball is placed after a touchback [S18 or S19]
Approved Ruling 6-1-2 VI. Team A is offside on its free kick and B17 catches the ball at his 15-yard line. B17 returns the ball to his 45-yard line where he fumbles. A67 recovers at the B-47 and runs to the B-35 where he fumbles, with B20 recovering while downed at his 33-yard line. RULING: Foul by Team A for offside. Team B may choose to have Team A kick again after a five-yard penalty from the previous spot, or Team B may have first and 10 at its 38-yard line.
6. All Team B players must be inbounds [S19].
7. All Team B players must be behind their restraining line [S18].
PENALTY [c6-c7]—Live-ball foul. Five yards from the previous spot [S18 or S19].
d. After the ball is ready for play and for any reason falls from the tee, Team A shall not kick the ball and the official shall sound their whistle immediately.
Approved Ruling 6-1-2 VII. Team A is in its formation to kick off at the A-35. Two players, A33 and A66, are positioned in a four-point stance with their feet on the A-29 and their hands on the A-31. The untouched kick hits the ground in Team B’s end zone and is declared dead. RULING: Touchback. Team A foul, illegal formation. Team B has two options for accepting the penalty: Put the ball in play at the B-30, after a five-yard penalty at the spot (the B-25) where the dead ball belongs to them; or have Team A re-kick at the A-30. (Rule 6-1-8)
Approved Ruling 6-1-2 VIII. Late in the game with the score tied, Team A lines up to free kick from the A-35. Kicker A10 places the ball down at the right hash for an apparent onside kick. After the Referee’s ready-for-play signal, A10 approaches the ball and then picks up the ball runs to the left hash at the A-35, places the ball down and quickly kicks the ball. RULING: By interpretation, once the ball position between the hash marks has been selected by Team A and after the ready-for-play, the ball may be relocated only after a charged team timeout or before any re-kick. Dead-ball foul. Five-yard penalty from the succeeding spot.
CFO Bulletin October 2019
Play #1: After a Touchdown and successful 2 point try, Team A trails 24 — 22 with 0:55 left in the 4th quarter. Team A intends to try an on-side free kick from the A-35. Kicker A90 holds the ball as if he will attempt a drop kick. A-90 then tosses the ball up in the air and the ball bounces just behind Team A's restraining line and then A90 kicks the ball after it bounces several feet into the air.
RULING: Illegal Kick. Dead-ball foul. Penalty — Five yards from the succeeding spot. This kick does not meet the requirements of a Drop Kick as required in Rule 2-16-3. For a legal drop kick the kicker must drop the ball and kick it as it touches the ground. Since Rule 2-16-6 only allows a place kick or a drop kick for a kickoff, this kick is not a legal kick. The penalty enforcement follows the current Approved Ruling 6-1-2, l. (See Above)
