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

Georgia executed an onside kick from its own 20-yard line and Cash Jones fell on it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 2, 2026

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

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

Fresno State drove for a quick field goal but couldn’t complete the comeback after its attempt to recover the onside kick failed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 30, 2024