2026 JC Football - Dominic's Free Kick Test (Test 1)

Requirements for Touchback

• A put the impatience on the ball

• The ball touches the ground on or behind team B’s GL before being touched by B

Enforcing a Touchback

• Free kick: Ball comes out to the B-25 and B gets to choose lateral position of ball

• Play that isn’t an unsuccessful field goal: Ball comes out to the B-20 and B gets to choose lateral position of ball

• Unsuccessful field goal at or inside the B-20: B puts the ball in play next at the B-20 with choice of lateral position

- Ball snapped outside the B-20, B puts the ball in play next at the previous spot, no choice of lateral position

Enforcing a Fair Catch

• At or inside the B-25: B is awarded the ball at the B-25 and gets to designate the lateral position

- “Touchback like”

• Outside the B-25: B is awarded the ball at the spot of the fair catch and must keep the ball at the lateral position that ball is caught

Fair Catch

• A player waves their arm above their head to initiate

- Any B player may do this

• Player who called for fair catch is protected from being hit by A until the ball has touched the ground or they no longer have an opportunity to catch the kick

- Also restricted from blocking A until the kick ends or they touch the ball

• Ball becomes dead instantly when any team B player comes into possession with the ball, through recovering or catching and B gets the ball at that spot

• For there to have been a “fair catch” by rule the player who made the signal must catch the ball and their signal must have been valid

Free Kick Play

• The interval of time between then the ball is legally kicked and when it is possessed or declared dead by rule

Basic Spot

• The spot the ball is considered to be when handling penalty enforcement

• Run play: The end of the related run

• Free kick play: Previous spot

Free Kick Play Enforcement

• Fouls by B: Enforced from the previous spot

- Except for illegal wedge block and blocking after a fair catch signal, enforce both from the spot of the foul

• Fouls by A: May be enforced from previous spot or subsequent dead ball spot where the ball belongs to be

- Except for kick catch interference, enforce those from the awarded fair catch spot

Kick out of Bounds

• A kick that goes out of bounds untouched by any inbounds B player

• Enforcement options

- 5yd. from the previous spot and re-kick

- 5yd. from the where the subsequent dead ball belongs to B

- 30yd. beyond team A’s restraining line

Requirements for A to Touch the Ball

• One of the following requirements need to be met

- The ball touches a team B player

- The ball touches anything beyond team B’s restraining line

- The ball breaks the plane of team B’s restraining line and stays beyond it

• Touching before any of the requirements are met results in a violation for illegal touching

Illegal Touching

• A violation by team A, triggered when A touches the ball before they are allowed to posses it

• Allows B the option of taking the ball at the spot of touching

• Canceled by an accepted foul on either team or offsetting fouls

• If happens over B’s end zone then the spot of the touching is the B-20

Illegal Block Before A is Eligible to Touch the Ball

• A is not allowed to block an opponent before they are eligible to touch the ball on a free kick

- Exception: B initiated contact with A

• 5yd penalty from the previous spot with a re-kick or from the spot where B subsequently will put the ball in play

Restrictions on A Out of Bounds

• A is not allowed to go out of bounds during a free kick play and return to the field of play for the remainder of the down

• - Exception: A is forced out by B and returns immediately

• Penalty is 5yd. and can be enforced from the previous spot with a re-kick or from the spot where B will subsequently put the ball in play