# Wakinyan Jr: "May the punt returner kick the ball and then catch it?" **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 21, 2010, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wakinyan-jr-may-the-punt-returner-kick-the-ball-and-then-catch-it/561464 "2010-11-21T19:00:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wakinyan-jr-may-the-punt-returner-kick-the-ball-and-then-catch-it/561464/1 "2010-11-21T19:00:21Z")
Watching the Packers - Vikings game, my seven year old son asked me if a player (punt returner) may kick the ball with his feet (before it hits the ground), and then catch it. Would that be allowed? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wakinyan-jr-may-the-punt-returner-kick-the-ball-and-then-catch-it/561464/2 "2010-11-21T19:29:02Z")
If it hits their foot and bounces up into the air they can catch it and run with it. If they don’t catch it the other team can recover it as a fumble or muff. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wakinyan-jr-may-the-punt-returner-kick-the-ball-and-then-catch-it/561464/3 "2010-11-21T19:31:56Z")
I’m pretty sure kicking the ball on purpose once its in play is a penalty. Not sure why returning a punt would make that any different. But then the rules of football make the tax-code seem transparent. ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wakinyan-jr-may-the-punt-returner-kick-the-ball-and-then-catch-it/561464/4 "2010-11-21T19:41:05Z")
Thanks! But consider that the ball didn’t hit the foot as much as the foot deliberately kicked ball up into the air, and then the player took it with his hands…? Would it still be OK? EDIT: My reply was to Bijou Drains, before I read Simplicio’s. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wakinyan-jr-may-the-punt-returner-kick-the-ball-and-then-catch-it/561464/5 "2010-11-21T19:42:59Z")
Wouldn’t that just be considered a punt? I know that it would in the Canadian game. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wakinyan-jr-may-the-punt-returner-kick-the-ball-and-then-catch-it/561464/6 "2010-11-21T20:33:53Z")
It’s not easy to kick the ball up to your hands in that case, it’s coming down with a lot of force if it’s a high punt. ---
**Author:** ![kfraser34](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@kfraser34](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kfraser34)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wakinyan-jr-may-the-punt-returner-kick-the-ball-and-then-catch-it/561464/7 "2010-11-21T22:18:48Z")
It is legal to kick a ball that is in play… One of the places that it is useful is on a blocked punt… Instead of trying to scoop up or fall on the ball, kicking it will often gain your team more yards… Very rare to see though… for the most part players are coached to fall on any loose ball immediately… ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wakinyan-jr-may-the-punt-returner-kick-the-ball-and-then-catch-it/561464/8 "2010-11-21T22:26:50Z")
> [@kfraser34](#): > > It is legal to kick a ball that is in play… One of the places that it is useful is on a blocked punt… Instead of trying to scoop up or fall on the ball, kicking it will often gain your team more yards [According to the NFL](http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/penaltysummaries) rules its illegal to deliberatly kick a “loose ball”. A loose ball is one that isn’t in possession of either team which I would assume would include after a punt, blocked or otherwise, though again, I’m a pretty casual football fan so maybe I’m misunderstanding. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wakinyan-jr-may-the-punt-returner-kick-the-ball-and-then-catch-it/561464/9 "2010-11-21T22:51:57Z")
deleted ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wakinyan-jr-may-the-punt-returner-kick-the-ball-and-then-catch-it/561464/10 "2010-11-22T00:42:18Z")
I’m going to say no. IIRC, there is an obscure rule (but something tells me it was used this year) where the person that receives a punt can immediately punt it back to the other team giving them possession back. If the returner kicks the ball then catches it, I believe it would be the original punting team’s ball at the spot of the catch. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wakinyan-jr-may-the-punt-returner-kick-the-ball-and-then-catch-it/561464/11 "2010-11-22T02:15:50Z")
Legal in Canadian football (see the CFL thread here a couple of weeks ago, about the end of the Montreal / Toronto game, where the ball was kicked back and forth several times). In general, not legal in American football…as Simplicio notes, it’s pretty much illegal for anyone to kick a ball other than in the act of an offensive team executing a kick or punt play. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wakinyan-jr-may-the-punt-returner-kick-the-ball-and-then-catch-it/561464/12 "2010-11-22T04:33:39Z")
Looked it up. I was thinking of a fair catch kick. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wakinyan-jr-may-the-punt-returner-kick-the-ball-and-then-catch-it/561464/13 "2010-11-22T05:03:25Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Looked it up. I was thinking of a fair catch kick. If that’s what I’m thinking of, it’s a separate play. The returner signals for a fair catch, and the receiving team may, on the next play, attempt a free kick. It’s a rule which is used very rarely. ---
**Author:** ![kfraser34](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@kfraser34](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kfraser34)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wakinyan-jr-may-the-punt-returner-kick-the-ball-and-then-catch-it/561464/14 "2010-11-22T09:11:16Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > [According to the NFL](http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/penaltysummaries) rules its illegal to deliberatly kick a “loose ball”. A loose ball is one that isn’t in possession of either team which I would assume would include after a punt, blocked or otherwise, though again, I’m a pretty casual football fan so maybe I’m misunderstanding. I played Canadian rules my entire “career”… I always thought that was a rule that was common to both sets of rules… guess I was wrong… ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wakinyan-jr-may-the-punt-returner-kick-the-ball-and-then-catch-it/561464/15 "2010-11-22T14:11:20Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Legal in Canadian football (see the CFL thread here a couple of weeks ago, about the end of the Montreal / Toronto game, where the ball was kicked back and forth several times). > > In general, not legal in American football…as Simplicio notes, it’s pretty much illegal for anyone to kick a ball other than in the act of an offensive team executing a kick or punt play. Link to that thread: [Only in the CFL: Three Kicks to End the Game; Results in Touchdown & Victory for Als!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=583639) Link to the video: [Just for kicks](http://www.cfl.ca/video/index/id/15259?autostart=true). And, for another example of crazy ball antics in the CFL, check out this video of a near-disaster on a routine punt catch: [What happens when the ball is frozen solid and the field is a skating rink.](http://www.cfl.ca/video/index/id/15811?autostart=true) Freeman saved the game for the Riders, who advance to the Grey Cup.