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? asked in SportsFootball (American) · 5 months ago

Football 🏈 question?

I am relatively new to football and was wondering why is it okay to punt the football out of bounce but when they're doing a kickoff it's not okay and it's a penalty 

1 Answer

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  • Mike W
    Lv 7
    5 months ago
    Favorite Answer

    That's the rule, a kickoff has to stay inbounds, unless it goes out the back of the end zone.   The only explanation I ever got was that a kickoff is a live ball.  Once the ball goes 10 yards, either team can take possession.  A punt is a dead ball, until it's touched by the receiving team.  If the ball lands inbounds on a kickoff, it's anybody's ball, and the receiving team has to take possession of the ball if they don't want the kicking team to take it.  On a punt, so long as the receiving team doesn't touch the ball, the kicking team can't take possession of it.  

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