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Can you kick a punt after its blocked?

Author

James Craig

Published Jan 17, 2026

A: "When a kick, field goal attempt or punt is blocked and the ball stays behind the line of scrimmage, if the offense recovers the ball, it can run, pass or kick." USA Football Rules Editor Bill LeMonnier is a former college football referee who currently serves as an ESPN NCAA rules analyst.

Can you kick after a blocked punt?

In a case where the ball crosses the line of scrimmage but there is enough backspin on the ball to return it behind the line of scrimmage, the kicking team may recover and advance. However, once the ball has crossed the line of scrimmage, the options to kick a second time or to pass are no longer available.

Can the punter kick the ball after its blocked?

If the receiving player is blocked into the ball, it is not considered "touching" the ball. A field goal cannot be scored on a punt kick.

Can a kicker kick the ball twice NFL?

From the NFL rule book: “A second kick from behind the line of scrimmage is legal provided the ball has not crossed the line.” The ball didn't cross the line off the block, but it did in the hands of the punter.

Can you hit the kicker if you block the kick?

Rule Summary View Official Rule. No defensive player may run into or rough a kicker who kicks from behind the line unless such contact: is incidental to and occurs after the defender has touched the kick in flight.

39 related questions found

What happens if kicking team recovers blocked punt?

Item 3: If a player of the kicking team illegally catches or recovers a scrimmage kick, other than a field goal attempt from beyond the 20-yard line, and carries the ball across the goal line, or touches the goal line with any part of his body while in possession of the ball, the ball is dead, and the result of the ...

Can offense advance a blocked punt?

A punt or field goal that is blocked and remains behind the line of scrimmage can be picked up and advanced by either team. For any field goal or punt that is partially blocked and travels beyond the line of scrimmage, think of it as a regular punt.

Is a blocked punt a turnover?

Blocking a punt is also not considered a turnover in the NFL. It is not clear of the reasoning why a turnover statistic does not include this as a turnover because it does not involve the offense. As turnover numbers are often used when judging an offenses ability to protect the ball.

Can a kicker catch his own punt?

Yes, when punting the punter himself as well as any of his teammates have the option to catch the ball. Though when a punt is caught by the punting team they do not remain in possession of the ball.

Has a punter ever caught his own punt?

There's a reason the special teams unit is called special. At any given moment during a punt, kickoff or field goal, these players could break out some ridiculous trick play that the defense never saw coming.

Is a punt after a safety a live ball?

On a normal punt, letting the ball drop would be fine, as the ball first has to touch a member of a receiving team before it becomes live. But because the punt after a safety is a free kick, the ball was live when it hit the ground, and Browns players pounced on it unopposed to retake possession.

Can a blocked punt be returned for a touchdown?

It was the second time this season the Colts have recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown, as another linebacker, Zaire Franklin, got his hands on a Jacksonville Jaguars' punt back in Week 10 that was recovered and returned for a touchdown, also by Speed.

Are turnovers on downs considered turnovers?

For example, when a team goes for it on fourth down and fails, it is commonly called a turnover on downs -- but it is not counted as a turnover in the stats. A turnover is traditionally defined as an interception or a lost fumble, and therefore those are the only events that are included in the turnover ratio.

What happens if you dont make 4th down?

Go For It: A football team can choose to play a regular play on fourth down and try to gain the 10 yards. If they don't, then the other team gets the ball at the spot of the tackle.

What happens if the offense can't get 10 yards in the allowed amount of downs?

When a team has the ball, it has 4 downs to advance the ball 10 yards or score. Each time it moves the ball 10 yards down the field, it's awarded a new set of 4 downs. If it fails to advance 10 yards, the ball is given to the other team at the point it became dead at the end of the 4th down.

Can you push a blocker into the punter?

Blockers don't have to worry about penalties if someone shoves them into the Kicker or if a foul occurs by the kicking team that causes the contact. Finally, the opposing team can legally hit if the kicker goes to the ground to recover a loose ball.

Can you tackle the punter?

According to the rulebook, kickers and punters are technically "defenseless" players at all times. That means they can't be hit in the head or neck, and can't be blocked with a helmet-first hit, even if they are trying to make a tackle on a return.

Can you touch the kicker in college football?

In general, hitting the kicker or punter in any way, while they are in the act of kicking the ball, will likely result in a penalty.

Was Michael dicksons double punt legal?

Mike Pereira initially said this was not legal, and Fox Sports announcers Joe Buck and Troy Aikman thought this would result in a penalty. But as it turns out, it was perfectly fine for the Seahawks' Michael Dickson to punt the ball twice on one play.

Can you kick a field goal on 3rd and 4th down?

If the kicker misses the field goal on first, second, or third down, the ball is turned over to the opposing team. The kicking team does not get additional attempts. This is why teams rarely go for a field goal on anything except fourth down.