6-5-6 While any free-kick is in flight in or beyond the neutral zone to the receivers goal line or any scrimmage kick is in flight beyond the neutral zone to the receivers goal line, K shall not touch the ball or R, unless blocked into the ball or R or to ward off a blocker, nor obstruct Rs path to the ball. This prohibition applies even when no fair-catch signal is given, but it does not apply after a free-kick has been touched by a receiver, or after a scrimmage kick has been touched by a receiver who was clearly beyond the neutral zone at the time of touching.
EXCEPTION: K may catch, touch, muff or bat a scrimmage kick in flight beyond the neutral zone if no player of R is in position to catch the ball.
|