What is "onside kick"

onside kick \onside kick\ (Football) A kickoff in which the kicking team attempts to kick the ball only so far as is legally required (beyond the 50-yard line), so as to have a better chance to recover the kicked ball itself; -- it is a risky type of play used only when the kicking team is losing and there is little time left to play.

n. (alternative spelling of on-side kick English)

In gridiron football, an onside kick is a kickoff deliberately kicked short. In most kickoffs, the kicking team concedes possession of the ball and tries to kick it as far as possible from its own goal. In an onside kick, the kicking team kicks short in hopes of regaining possession of the ball before the receiving team can control it.

The onside kick is a low-percentage play, generally only seen late in a game when the kicking team is trailing in the score and must retain possession of the ball in order to score before time expires. However, its chances of success increase in a situation where the returning team does not expect it.