onside kick

American  

Or onsides 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.

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Etymology

Origin of onside kick

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

onside kick

And these days, teams can’t even try the surprise onside kick.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 22, 2025

The book also says when to try for a 2-point conversion, whether to attempt an onside kick or to kick deep and how to manage the two-minute warning—nearly everything outside of Xs and Os.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2025

To start the second half, the Kares pulled off a successful onside kick, leading to a drive that ended with Penunuri punching the ball in from the one-yard line.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 15, 2024

He also recovered an onside kick with eight seconds left to ice the win.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 30, 2024

The Chargers needed to watch a late onside kick attempt swirl out of bounds to avoid disaster in a game they led by 23 points.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2024