ARTICLE 1. There are no kickoffs. Play starts at the Team A 14-yard line, unless moved by penalty.
ARTICLE 1. A legal punt is a kick made in accordance with the Rules. Quick punts, punts taken before the defense is set to receive the ball, are illegal.
ARTICLE 2. On fourth down a team shall declare their intention to punt. The captain/head coach shall notify the team’s intent to punt to the Referee. Once declared, the kicking team shall complete the punt prior to the play clock expiring. The selecting team may change their decision after a foul or after a timeout.
Crossing the Neutral Zone
ARTICLE 3. Neither Team A nor Team B may enter the neutral zone until the ball is kicked.
PENALTY – Live-ball foul. If by Team A: Five yards from the previous spot. If by Team B: Five yards from the post punt spot. [S18]
ARTICLE 5.
a. A punt that fails to cross the neutral zone continues in play. All players may catch or recover the ball behind the neutral zone and advance it.
b. The blocking of a punt by an opponent of the kicking team who is not more than three yards beyond the neutral zone is considered to have occurred within or behind that zone. If the blocked punt hits the ground, it is dead at that spot.
c. Team A shall not punt the ball to themself or any other A player. Team A may punt the ball only once per down.
ARTICLE 6.
a. No inbounds player of the kicking team shall touch a punt that has crossed the neutral zone before it touches an opponent. This is illegal touching, a violation that, when the ball becomes dead, gives the receiving team the privilege of taking the ball at the spot of the violation.
b. This privilege is canceled if there is an accepted penalty for a live-ball foul by either team.
c. The privilege is canceled if there are offsetting fouls.
d. Illegal touching in Team A’s endzone is ignored.
ARTICLE 7. When a punt that has crossed the neutral zone touches a player of the receiving team who is inbounds, any player may catch the ball in flight.
Forced Touching Disregarded
ARTICLE 8.
a. A player blocked by an opponent into a punt that has crossed the neutral zone shall not, while inbounds, be deemed to have touched the punt.
b. An inbounds player touched by a ball either batted or illegally kicked by an opponent is not deemed to have touched the ball.
Catch or Recovery by Receiving Team
ARTICLE 9. If a player of the receiving team catches or recovers a punt, the ball continues in play.
Catch or Recovery by Kicking Team
ARTICLE 10.
a. If a player of the kicking team catches or recovers a punt that has crossed the neutral zone, the ball becomes dead. The ball belongs to the receiving team at the dead-ball spot, unless the kicking team is in legal possession when the ball is declared dead. In the latter case, the ball belongs to the kicking team.
b. If opposing players who are each eligible to touch the ball simultaneously catch a punt, the simultaneous possession makes the ball dead. A punt declared dead in joint possession of opposing players is awarded to the receiving team.
Out-of-Bounds Between the Goal Lines or at Rest Inbounds
ARTICLE 11. If a punt goes out-of-bounds between the goal lines or comes to rest inbounds untouched and no player attempts to secure it, the ball becomes dead and belongs to the receiving team at that spot.
Out-of-Bounds Behind the Goal Line
ARTICLE 12. If a punt goes out-of-bounds behind a goal line, the ball becomes dead and belongs to the team defending that goal line.
Touching Ground On or Behind the Goal Line
ARTICLE 12. If a punt untouched by Team B beyond the neutral zone touches the ground on or behind Team B’s goal line, the ball becomes dead belonging to Team B.
Loose Behind the Goal Line
ARTICLE 13. If a punt untouched by Team B after crossing the neutral zone is batted in Team B’s end zone by a player of Team A, it is a violation for illegal touching. The spot of the violation is Team B’s 14-yard line. This is a special case of batting in the end zone and is not a foul.
ARTICLE 14. No Team A player who goes out-of-bounds during a punt may return inbounds during the down. (Exception: This does not apply to a Team A player who is illegally forced out of-bounds and attempts to return inbounds immediately.)
PENALTY–Live-ball foul. Five yards from the previous spot, or if the punt crosses the neutral zone, Five yards from the spot where the subsequent dead-ball belongs to Team B. [S19]
ARTICLE 15. Penalties for all fouls by the kicking team other than kick-catch interference during a punt play in which the ball crosses the neutral zone may be enforced either at the previous spot with the down repeated (Exception: Penalty option is a safety for fouls in Team A’s end zone) or at the spot where the subsequent dead-ball belongs to Team B, at the option of Team B.
ARTICLE 1. There are no field goal attempts in this game. Team A must attempt to score by a regular play from scrimmage as outlined in Rule 8-3.
SECTION 4. KICK CATCHING INTERFERENCE
Interference with Opportunity
ARTICLE 1.
a. If an inbounds player of the receiving team is located where they could catch a punt that has crossed the neutral zone, and if the player is attempting to do so, they must be given an unimpeded opportunity to catch the kick.
b. It is an interference foul if, before the receiver touches the ball, a Team A player enters the area defined by the width of the receiver’s shoulders and extends one yard in front of them. When in question it is a foul.
c. This protection ends when the kick touches the ground or when any player of Team B muffs or touches a punt beyond the neutral zone.
d. If interference with a potential receiver is the result of a player being contacted by an opponent, it is not a foul.
PENALTY – Dead-ball for delay of game. Five yards from the succeeding spot. [S27]
Dead Where Caught or Grounded
ARTICLE 1.
a. If a Team B player makes a fair catch, the ball becomes dead where caught and belongs to Team B at that spot.
b. If a Team B player makes a valid fair catch signal, the unimpeded opportunity to catch a punt continues if this player muffs the kick and still has the opportunity to complete the catch. If that player (or another Team B player) subsequently catches the kick, the ball is placed where the player making the signal first touched it. This protection terminates when the kick touches the ground.
c. Rules pertaining to a fair catch apply only when a punt crosses the neutral zone.
d. The purpose of the fair catch provision is to protect the receiver who, using the fair catch signal, agrees they or a teammate will not advance after the catch.
e. The ball shall be put in play by a snap by the receiving team at the spot of the catch if the ball is caught between the hash marks.
ARTICLE 2. No Team B player shall intentionally advance or carry a caught or recovered ball in any direction after any Team B player gives a valid or invalid fair catch signal.
PENALTY – Dead-ball for delay of game. Five yards from the succeeding spot. [S21]
Invalid Signals: Catch or Recovery
ARTICLE 3.
a. A catch after an invalid signal is not a fair catch, and the ball is dead where caught or recovered.
b. If the signal follows a catch or recovery, the ball is dead when the signal is first given.
c. Invalid signals beyond the neutral zone apply only to Team B.
d. An invalid signal beyond the neutral zone is possible only when the ball has crossed the neutral zone.
