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

Chicago’s furious comeback involved one of the less likely plays in football in recent years: actually recovering an 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

Bhaghani immediately unfurled an onside kick that Kanye Clark recovered, leading to a field goal and a 10-0 cushion.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 4, 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

Rutgers went on to score a touchdown with 1 minute 23 seconds left and would have had a chance to win the game had it recovered an onside kick snagged by UCLA’s Grant Gray.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 23, 2024