Understanding the rules for NFL onside kicks

Few plays excite (and surprise) a stadium full of fans like an onside kick. Who will ever forget "Ambush" by the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl 44 gave them vital momentum to start the second half against the Indianapolis Colts? The play is a significant risk but it's a thrill either way and leaves both sides biting their nails to see how things will turn out.

But what are the rules around an onside kick in the NFL? Let's define things first.

An onside kick is a strategic maneuver usually called for when a team is trailing and needs to regain possession quickly—think of a late fourth-quarter gasp or last-ditch effort. The primary rule is that the ball must travel at least 10 yards before the kicking team can legally recover it.

The receiving team of an onside kick has the right to catch or recover the ball before the other team engages with it and NFL rules protect that right. However, if a member of the receiving team touches the ball—even on accident—before it covers 10 yards, it becomes live. This allows the kicking team the chance to recover.

Players on the kicking team must not cross the kickoff line (usually the 35-yard line) before the ball is kicked, as doing so results in an offside penalty, leading to a five-yard penalty and a re-kick.

Some changes are being instituted this year for the first time regarding kickoffs in the NFL in general. With that came some changes to onside kicks. First, teams only have two per game and neither can be used before the fourth quarter. Even then, the team must declare they are going for an onside kick, which halts any chances of another "Ambush" scenario.

The goal here is for the game to be more exciting and safer at the same time, which is a win for everyone involved.