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Question: What is an "onside kick" (american football) ?

(Posted by: Bree on 2010-02-08 12:23:54)

Posted by: John Doe on 2010-02-08, 12:37:17

"...kick used at a kickoff or other free kick, or scrimmage kick or other kick during play, in which the ball is kicked favorably for the kicking team to avoid giving away the ball. ...The kick must cross the receiving team's restraining line (normally 10 yards in front of the kicking team's line), unless the receiving team touches the ball before that line. The kicking team may only recover and retain possession of the kicked ball, but not advance it. The kicking team must not interfere with an attempt by a player of the receiving side to catch the ball on the fly The kick must be a free kick (a kickoff, or free kick after a safety, but not the rare fair catch kick) "

Posted by: joemoser1948 on 2010-02-08, 12:30:44

If the kick goes toward the opposing team a certain number of yards (I forget the precise amount) but someone from the team doing the kicking gets to it FIRST, the team that should have gone on defense (after having just scored) gets another chance to run a series of offensive plays. It rarely works but when a team is trying to close a score gap (i.e., catch up to the team being kicked TO) it might be useful.