Free Kick Formation
ARTICLE 2.
c. When the ball is kicked:
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.
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]
