Why can’t you hit the kicker in football?

Why can’t you hit the kicker in football? Kickers are essentially defenseless when their kicking leg is in the air and their plant leg is sustaining their weight. If hit while in this position, the chance of injury becomes more likely, and this is why the roughing the kicker penalty exists.

Kickers are essentially defenseless when their kicking leg is in the air and their plant leg is sustaining their weight. If hit while in this position, the chance of injury becomes more likely, and this is why the roughing the kicker penalty exists.