According to the NFL Rulebook: " A kickoff is illegal unless it travels 10 yards OR is touched by the receiving team. Once the ball is touched by the receiving team or has gone 10 yards, it is a free ball. Receivers may recover and advance. Kicking team may recover but NOT advance UNLESS receiver had possession and lost the ball. " According to the NFL Rules, the kicking team may not advance the ball on a kickoff unless it has been possessed first by the receiving team. In the play you saw in the Washington/Seattle playoff game, the ball went unpossessed by the receiving team when the kicking team gained control. In that case, possession is awarded to the kicking team at the spot where the kicking team gained control of the ball. no. the ball is dead where the kicking team touched it
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Yes but only if the ball is fumbled by the other team (the runner loses possession while running or touches the football but does not catch it). The kicking team cannot recover a kicked ball if the receiving team has not touched it/fumbled. If the kicking team does touch it before the receiving team does, it is considered a dead ball and the receiving team's offense will start wherever the ball was stopped.