onside kick

or onsides kick

noun

, Football.

1. a kickoff deliberately kicked a short distance in an attempt by the kicking team to regain possession of the ball by recovering it after it has traveled forward the legally required distance of 10 yards, beyond the 50-yard line.

Word History and Origins

Origin of onside kick¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

His most important contribution was recovering an onside kick while playing with the special team.

From The Daily Beast

The young men he called his boys must have all agreed that it was very hard to hurt yourself demonstrating an onside kick.

From The Daily Beast

The old man was demonstrating an onside kick when he injured his hip.

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