Rugby Punting

[coachc9]

Question about the roughing the kicker rule. I have been told two different thing now so just trying to clarify.

If a high school punter in Arkansas is ruby style punting, is he protected until he tucks the ball to run? So if he leaves the tackle box like he was going to run but keeps the ball up like he may punt is protected if quick kicks it right before getting hit? Would that be a penalty? Sorry if this is confusing because I am almost confusing myself typing it.

[arreferee]

Question about the roughing the kicker rule. I have been told two different thing now so just trying to clarify.

If a high school punter in Arkansas is ruby style punting, is he protected until he tucks the ball to run? So if he leaves the tackle box like he was going to run but keeps the ball up like he may punt is protected if quick kicks it right before getting hit? Would that be a penalty? Sorry if this is confusing because I am almost confusing myself typing it.

coachc9,

There was a similar question asked on here last year.  I just found it and my response is below.  I would like to hear from any of the high school officials on here.  I only work NCAA rules so there could be a little difference in rules or philosophy.  I hope this helps.

This can be a tough situation, but the wording in the rules books says something like being reasonably certain a kick will be made.  In other words, if the kicker kicks the ball while running, it's not reasonably certain a kick will be made until it's actually made.  If the kicker is running, stops, and sets up to punt, then it's reasonably certain a kick will be made.  Of course, in the situation where the kicker kicks the ball while running, contact can still be a personal foul it is excessive. Just because it's not reasonably certain a kick will be made doesn't give the defensive player the opportunity for a free shot.  In the plays like this I've seen, it's usually pretty obvious when the kicker is just running to buy time for his team to get down field as opposed to the times it's a fake punt and he's trying to get a first down.

With that said, if I was a coach, I would tell my players to avoid contact if at all possible after the ball has been kicked.  Reasonable certainty is up to the person interpreting the play so I would do my best to make sure there is no room for doubt.

[football_referee]

Hope this makes sense on the Rugby style punters

If a rugby kick, treat it like a QB scrambling.  He 'may be' a runner; he 'may be a passer'.
He aint a passer til he passes.
Likewise, he aint a kicker til he kicks it.
That said, a kicker aint protected from anything until he becomes a kicker.
THEN once he is a kicker, in our scenario a rugby kicker, B would have to make reasonable attempt to not rough the kicker.
Where it's interesting is when the soon-to-be kicker is rolling out, B is pursuing him as a runner. K can kick it in one step.
So we have to determine whether B/R was reasonably certain (while chasing a runner) that this player was now a kicker. 
Seems B/R is potentially given similar (not identical) leeway of roughing/displacing K that is given to B on a passer who just released the ball.