Editing Onside kick (section)

== General rules ==
{{unsourced section|date=February 2024}}
Gridiron football originates in [[rugby football]] and so does the onside kick. In rugby, while the [[forward pass]] is prohibited, a team in possession may legally kick the ball downfield and recapture possession, provided that the receiver of the kick was [[offside (rugby)|onside]] when the kick was made (''i.e.'', abreast with or behind the kicker.)

This form of onside kick is still legal in [[Canadian football]], just as in rugby. A player of the kicking team (for any kick, not just a free kick) who is "onside" may recover the ball and retain possession for his team. This includes the kicker himself and anyone else behind the ball at the time it was kicked, other than the holder for a place kick.

The form of onside kick available at a free kick in American football is also available in Canadian football for a kickoff as well, although it is referred to as a short-kick, as all players are onside for a kickoff; however, the kick may well be chipped high instead of bounced, because the players of the receiving team have no particular first right to the ball as in American football (due to the [[fair catch]] rule); both sides may play the ball equally, even in the air.

In 2024 NFL rules, onside kicks are only allowed in the fourth quarter of games and if the team doing it is losing. The losing team additionally must declare it is attempting the onside kick, thus eliminating the surprise factor prior to the rule change.