No Flag ? So, I just wasted half my time waiting for some semblance of reason from you ?

I'm jesting. Happy to help on everything rules-based.....I know onsides situs B/C I fucked on many in getting mixed up with different Rules. per State.

From the 2016 NFL Rulebook:

RULE 6. FREE KICKS
SECTION 1 - PROCEDURES FOR A FREE KICK
ARTICLE 1. FREE KICK
A free kick is a kickoff or safety kick that puts the ball in play to start a free kick down...

ARTICLE 4. CATCH OR RECOVERY OF A FREE KICK
The following applies to the catch or recovery of a free kick:

If a player of the receiving team catches or recovers the ball, he may advance.

If the ball is declared dead while in the simultaneous possession of two opposing players, the ball is awarded to the receiving team.

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.

The ball is dead if it is caught or recovered by a player of the kicking team. If the catch or recovery is legal, the ball belongs to the kicking team at the dead-ball spot.

If the ball comes to rest inbounds after reaching the receiving team’s restraining line and no player attempts to possess it, the ball becomes dead and belongs to the receiving team at the dead-ball spot


I think we're using this rule. I don't think there any logic if it goes out of bounds, but jdb knows about it. Same for it not traveling 10 yards . I am pretty sure the logic has the receiving team never caring if it goes 10 yards or not. The ball becomes live once they touch it, and they always do.

Same for the fair catch on a free kick that is an onside...you have to imagine the ball has always been kicked correctly (with or without a tee ) and the fair catch is not available, cause a drop kick , could be angled that way for an onside but I don't think it could ever be effective in real life with out a tee. The ball popping up like that gives the kicking team time to get the live ball. But the recieving team can't target those gunners for a block/ altering of path either. So, imo they are at the disadvantage here.

The rarity here of these events has these bugs on the back burner, but we don't have squib kicks...or the multitude of new technical kicks applied by the aussie punters in recent years , in which are used in free kick (as well as punt senerios ) now.

The recieving team is quite limited here, in terms of nfl options/plays. So , imo this area is open to a low level of exploitable tactics, but it is annoying when it happens to you.

..and this seems to the crux of the question from the OP...as I understand it. This does not answer the question of Team R having an option to decline the penalty, if a penalty occurred on Team K on a Free Kick / Onsides kick, and to take advantage of a more favorable situation.

Again, I've not seen it in MFN, and I'm betting it is a very rare circumstance.....

https://rundfined.myfootballnow.com/watch/532#95217

This one went out of bounds before the ten yards and the recieving team got it. Is the game acting different now?

An onside kick goes out of bounds:

https://national-fictional-football-league.myfootballnow.com/watch/1563#275865

I seen both over the course of my tenure here . I wonder the nfl rules if it touches a player from either side before it goes out of bounds ? Not that what happened here, but I think that's where i left off when discussing this subject in the past . But I think 5, 6, and 7 touch on something . They were penalized 5 yards? But according to this you get two tries

"1. The kickoff shall be from the kicking team?s 30-yard line at the start of each half and after a field goal and try. A kickoff is one type of free kick.

2. A one-inch tee may be used (no tee permitted for field goal, safety kick, or try attempt) on a kickoff. The ball is put in play by a placekick.

3. A kickoff may not score a field goal.

4. A kickoff is illegal unless it travels 10 yards OR is touched by the receiving team. Once the ball is touched by the receiving team or has gone 10 yards, it is a free ball. Receivers may recover and advance. Kicking team may recover but NOT advance UNLESS receiver had possession and lost the ball.

5. When a kickoff goes out of bounds between the goal lines without being touched by the receiving team, the ball belongs to the receivers 30 yards from the spot of the kick or at the out-of-bounds spot unless the ball went out-of-bounds the first time an onside kick was attempted. In this case, the kicking team is penalized five yards and the ball must be kicked again.

6. When a kickoff goes out of bounds between the goal lines and is touched last by receiving team, it is receiver?s ball at out-of-bounds spot.

7. If the kicking team either illegally kicks off out of bounds or is guilty of a short free kick on two or more consecutive onside kicks, receivers may take possession of the ball at the dead ball spot, out-of-bounds spot, or spot of illegal touch.

Kicks after Safety
1. In addition to a kickoff, the other free kick is a kick after a safety (safety kick). A punt may be used (a punt may not be used on a kickoff).

2. On a safety kick, the team scored upon puts ball in play by a punt, dropkick, or placekick without tee. No score can be made on a free kick following a safety, even if a series of penalties places team in position. (A field goal can be scored only on a play from scrimmage or a free kick after a fair catch.)"

I wonder where are rates are at? The nfl change last season seemed to lower success rate . I also wonder if using a non kicker here does anything different ? Cause there does seem to be alot of anecdotal short kicks

Is this the correct NFL rule?

"5. When a kickoff goes out of bounds between the goal lines without being touched by the receiving team, the ball belongs to the receivers 30 yards from the spot of the kick or at the out-of-bounds spot unless the ball went out-of-bounds the first time an onside kick was attempted. In this case, the kicking team is penalized five yards and the ball must be kicked again."

Consecutive Onside Kick Attempts
If you kick the ball out of bounds on a regular kick off you are penalized. If you kick the ball out of bounds on an onside kick attempt you actually get a second chance. Onside kicks, apparently, are like bunting in baseball — you get two options but a third will strike you out

this was from 2019

I always wondered if it applies to free kicks