What Is the Onside Kick Rule in the NFL? [2024]

An Onside Kick in an NFL game isn’t very rare. However, executing one flawlessly is one in a thousand, and often steals the spotlight despite the outcome of the matchup. In the 2023 season alone, it took until Week 8 for the Arizona Cardinals to convert an Onside Kick after rookie LB Owen Pappoe showcased his athletic prowess by leaping into the air and securing the pigskin. Interestingly, the Cardinals — 1-7 at that time, the league’s worst — while getting defeated by the Ravens, who would go on to clinch the top AFC seed; still made more than a few headlines. So the question lingers: What is an Onside Kick?

Whether it’s the kickoff or a failed third-down drive, a regular kick has the power to both make and break the game. It’s effective and keeps the opponents at bay. However, in desperate times, the place kicker takes the risk of a penalty and sacrificing significant yardage in order to regain the possession of the ball.

Regular Kick vs. Onside Kick

In a regular kick, the only goal for the kicking team is to send the pigskin as far as possible; however, for an onside kick, the Placekicker’s sole aim is to barely surpass the 10-yard mark. The 10 players alongside the kicker cannot cross the line of scrimmage until the ball is kicked in both plays. Once kicked, they bolt as fast as they can to recover the ball and regain possession.

Due to its oval shape, the kicker can barely maintain accuracy on an Onside Kick, contrary to regular kicks or punts. Moreover, a regular kick barely comes with a penalty, but for the Onside Kick, it’s often the case.

What Are the Onside Kick Rules?

We have already established that the ball needs to surpass the 10-yard line before the kicking team can touch or recover it. However, if they willingly or unwillingly touch the ball before the 10-yard line, they are not only slapped with a penalty, but the opposition also gets possession.

This rule, however, doesn’t apply to the opposing team, as they can recover the ball once it’s kicked, whether it has surpassed the 10-yard line or not. It’s also worth mentioning that if the ball somehow touches a member of the receiving team, it’s considered live, and the kicking team has an opportunity to attempt a recovery.

Super Bowl XLIV Onside Kick

Since the boundaries are set, we must discuss how this one risky play became one of the boldest plays in the Super Bowl XLIV between the Colts and the Saints, so much so that even President Barack Obama made a quip about it in one of his speeches.

With Sean Payton at the helm, the Saints were behind by 4 points after the end of the first half. During that long yet much-needed break during The Who’s half-time show, the Saints’ head coach made a decision that would change the entire outcome of the matchup. Thomas Morstead, the punter, was entrusted with the task, which could even jeopardize his career.

It was even more evident since he was freaking out during halftime and couldn’t keep his head straight, as he had never tried an Onside kick before. Nevertheless, Morstead had no choice but to go through it, and he did it flawlessly by opening the second half with a kick that bounced off one of the opponents just to be recovered by Chris Reis. Even a scuffle broke out, lasting more than a few minutes, as the officials tried to determine if the play was legal.

A Few More Flawless Onside Kicks

During the Week 6 matchup between the Colts and the Texans, Pat McAfee would etch his name in the history books after not only kicking the pigskin but also recovering it all by himself. Thanks to this, McAfee and the Colts were able to seal a much-deserved 33-28 victory over the Texans.

Another instance that’s worth a nod was when the Russell Wilson-led Seahawks locked horns against the Packers for the NFC title. With only two minutes on the clock, Stephen Hauschka pulled off a miracle by kicking for exactly 11 yards that would go through Packers’ Brandon Bostick and be recovered by Chris Matthews. With this victory, the Seahawks secured a spot in the Super Bowl XLIX against the Patriots.

Yet another showdown comes to mind when the Rams clashed with the Saints in the 2020 NFC Wildcard Game. The Saints were in complete control of the game, with a 31-7 lead in the early fourth quarter. However, to everyone’s surprise, Kurt Warner orchestrated three touchdown drives in the last few minutes, narrowing the score to 31-28. Despite their near victory, the Rams ultimately fell short due to a series of close calls.

The turning point was Jeff Wilkins successfully executing an onside kick, secured by Dre Bly after the first attempt was flagged for offside. Although the Saints ultimately lost, it remains one of the most memorable games ever played.

More About the Onside Kick

According to the Bleacher Report, following the Super Bowl XLVII, the NFL Competition Committee proposed that the 10-yard rule be changed to 15-yard for Onside Kicks. This hasn’t yet come to fruition, but could very well happen in the near future.

Moreover, the Philadelphia Eagles have proposed a rule change — instead of an Onside kick, the kicking team could have a 4th-and-20 opportunity from their own 20-yard line. This was also proposed ahead of the current season.

Another rule change banned the running start for the kicking team, which has plunged the success rate of an Onside kick to 3.2%. It was reportedly a 6% and 21% success rate before a few more rule changes. With how the current landscape is evolving, one could very well argue that this special play might cease to exist in a few years’ time. For now, only time will tell.