Rule 6 — Free Kicks
Section 1 — Procedures for a Free Kick
Article 1 — Free Kick
A free kick is a kickoff, safety kick, or onside kick that puts the ball in play to start a free kick down. It must be made from any point on the kicking team's restraining line and between the inbounds lines.
- (a) A kickoff puts the ball in play at the start of each half, after a Try, and after a successful field goal.
- (b) A safety kick puts the ball in play after a safety. A drop kick, place kick, or punt may be used.
- (c) An onside kick puts the ball in play by the team who declares that form of a free kick to the officials.
Penalty: For illegal free kick: Loss of five yards.
Article 2 — Restraining Lines and Zones
- (a) Kicker's Restraining Line — the 35-yard line for a kickoff and the 20-yard line for a safety kick.
- (b) Kicking Team's Restraining Line — the receiving team's 40-yard line.
- (c) Receiving Team's Restraining Line — the receiving team's 35-yard line.
- (d) Setup Zone — the 5-yard area between the receiving team's 35-yard line and its 30-yard line.
- (e) Landing Zone — the area from the receiving team's 20-yard line extending to its goal line.
Article 3 — Kickoff or Safety Kick Formation
From the time the kicker begins his approach to the ball and until the ball touches the ground or a player in the landing zone or the end zone, all kicking team players must be inbounds and comply with alignment requirements, and all receiving team players must be inbounds and on or behind their restraining line with at least nine players in the setup zone.
Penalty: For illegal formation: Loss of five yards.
Article 4 — Catch or Recovery of a Kickoff or Safety Kick
- (a) If a player of the receiving team catches or recovers the ball in the landing zone or inbounds in the end zone, he may advance.
- (b) If the ball is declared dead in the simultaneous possession of two opposing players, the ball is awarded to the receiving team.
- (c) A player of the kicking team may touch, catch, or recover the ball if it lands or is touched by a receiving team player in the landing zone or in the end zone.
Article 5 — Kickoff or Safety Kick Crosses Goal Line
A kickoff or safety kick into the end zone that remains inbounds is a live ball and must be returned or downed by the receiving team. It is a touchback and the dead ball spot is the 20-yard line if the kick touches the ground or a player in the landing zone and is downed in the end zone. The dead ball spot is the 35-yard line if, without first touching the ground or a player in the landing zone, the kick goes out of bounds behind the goal line, strikes the receiving team's goal post, or lands at or beyond the goal line and is downed in the end zone.
Article 6 — Onside Kick
At any time during the game, the kicking team may declare an onside kick by notifying the Referee prior to the start of the play clock. The Referee will then notify the receiving team.
- (a) An onside kick is defined as a free kick that the kicking team attempts to legally recover from the kicking team's restraining line to the furthest point downfield within the onside kick setup zone.
- (e) A player of the kicking team may legally touch, catch, or recover the ball if it first touches a receiving team player or it reaches or crosses the receiving team's restraining line.
Penalty: For illegal formation on onside kick: Loss of 5 yards.
Penalty: For an onside kick that goes untouched beyond the onside kick setup zone: Loss of 15 yards from the kicking team's restraining line and the receiving team takes possession.
Article 7 — End of Free Kick
A free kick ends when either team possesses the ball, or when the ball is dead, if that precedes possession.
Section 2 — Other Free Kick Fouls
Article 1 — Blocking During a Kickoff or Safety Kick
After the ball hits or is touched in the landing zone or end zone, kicking team players may legally block. Until then, no player of the receiving team may initiate a block against the kicking team.
- A double team block is permissible only by players who were initially lined up in the setup zone.
- A wedge block is not permitted by any players at any time.
Penalty: For illegal blocking or use of hands by either team: Loss of 10 yards.
Penalty: For an illegal wedge block or an illegal double team block: Loss of 15 yards.
Article 2 — Blocking During Onside Kick
Specific blocking restrictions apply both between the restraining lines and at or beyond the receiving team's restraining line. Double team and wedge block restrictions from Article 1 also apply.
Penalty: For illegal blocking on an onside kick: Loss of 10 yards.
Article 3 — Running Into Free Kicker
A player of the receiving team is not permitted to run into the kicker before he recovers his balance.
Penalty: For running into the kicker: Loss of five yards.
Article 4 — Free Kick Out of Bounds or Not Reaching the Landing Zone
The kicking team may not (a) kick the ball out of bounds, (b) be the last to touch the ball before it goes out of bounds between the goal lines, or (c) kick the ball which first touches the ground or a player in advance of the front yard line of the landing zone.
Penalty: The receiving team may elect to take possession of the ball 25 yards from the spot of the kick (kickoff/onside) or 30 yards (safety kick), or the receiving team's 40-yard line, whichever is more advantageous.
Article 5 — Free Kick Illegally Touched
A player of the kicking team may not touch, catch, or recover the ball before it has reached the receiving team's restraining line (onside kick), unless it has first been touched by a receiving team player.
Penalty: For illegal touching of an onside kick: Loss of five yards, or the receiving team takes possession at the spot of the illegal touch.
Article 6 — Player Voluntarily Out of Bounds on a Free Kick
Prior to the ball being touched by the receiving team or the end of the kick, it is a foul if a kicking team player voluntarily goes out of bounds to avoid a block.
Penalty: For voluntarily going out of bounds on a free kick without contact: Loss of five yards.
Section 3 — Enforcement of Fouls
Article 1 — Enforcement From Previous Spot
If there is a foul during a free kick, enforcement is from the previous spot, and the free kick is made again. If the kicking team commits a foul prior to the end of the kick, or the receiving team commits a foul during a kickoff or safety kick, and the receiving team retains possession throughout the down, the offended team will have the option of enforcing the penalty at the previous spot and replaying the down or enforcing the penalty yardage from the dead ball spot.