PUNT rules for HS?

saw a HS game last night where a team place-kicked on several 4th downs instead of a regular punt. This was obviously not a FG attempt because most of the time they were deep within their own end of the field . some were blocked, but at least once the ball was kicked about 20-30 yd's and rolled out of bounds w/o being touched. and the officials placed the ball down for the other team at the place it went out of bounds.

I thought on a 4th down "place kick" this would appear to be a FG attempt and the other team would start at the original line of scrimmage . does HS have a different rule on this?

 

I'm sure somebody knows or will bother to check the rule book - but I have seen this before as well.

Seems it has something to do with where they kick it from - if its on obvious attempt to kick it away becasue it is too far out of FG range. I'm sure there is more to it than that but I remember this coming up before

 

Any scrimmage kick is a live ball. If a scrimmage kick (place kick or punt) goes out of bounds, the ball is placed at the spot where it goes out of bounds. If it comes to rest in the field of play with no one in possession, the receiving team gets the ball where it comes to rest. Also, any place kick is live until it reaches the endzone, so a receiving team could return a place-kick as long as it does not reach the endzone. Once any kick reaches the endzone, it becomes dead and awarded to the receiving team at the 20 yard line.

Hope this helps out.

 

sounds like a hurt/absent punter

 

So does place kicking (look)like a fg? Do you have to tell the ref that it is a place kick?

 

If your punting the ball and on the snap the ball is very low and the punter goes to his or her knee it is a downed ball at that spot...so why if your using a FG position to punt the ball it isnt downed at the point the holder catches it?

 

yeah - the more I thought about it I wonder if you have to report to the ref that you are kicking the ball away not attempting a FG.

 

If a punters knee touches the ground on a low snap, the ball is down.

Kinda crazy I know, but they do not have to report if they are attempting a place kick. Officials go by formation. They can do it from any where on the field between the hash marks. The holder is the only one allowed to receive the ball on a knee. However, if the holder raises up, knee comes off the ground, to receive a bad snap, they may not return to the ground without being called down.

Are you all confused enough now????

I had a game last year where a team attempted a 65 yard field goal instead of punting. I asked the coach later why he chose that. He said they could kick it exactly where he wanted it kicked. Apparently the punter was not good at doing that. Just so happens the kick was returned 95 yards so it didn't work out like he wanted it to.

Hope my comments are helping.

 

The holder can come up to receive a bad snap as long as he returns to the ground immediately. If he makes any other move then goes down the ball is dead. He is allowed to field the bad snap, go down and hold and IF he chooses he can rise up and attempt a run or pass. The key is, he must immediately go back down.

As for a FGA, it is treated just like a scrimmage kick. The ball is down wherever the ball is dead at. Whether it be downed by the kicking team or returned by the receiving team.

 

different rule?

thanks for all the explanations. one last question: is the rule different on this situation when comparing HS to college?