[grantsrc]

I heard about this play from my principal at school and didn't see the play nor the highlights from the game.

Here is a copy of the email I sent a NFL Europe official with my understanding of the play with his response. His response is at the top:

Yes, there is such an animal as the "fair catch kick" in the NFL. I thought they had the same thing in NF, but I don't know.

If a fair catch is called, the receiving team can extend the quarter for a fair catch kick. That is a place kick (no tee). I think you can drop kick it too, but no one would try that. You can not extend for a scrimmage play here, the only choice if you are receiving team is to extend for the fair catch kick, or the quarter (in this case, the game) is over (if there are no other fouls, such as KCI).

Basically, a fair catch kick is just like a free kick, except that it's a place kick, and that the kick can score points. You have restraining lines (called fair catch kick lines) 10 yards apart, just like on a free kick. But you can not kick an onside kick, unless the kick is touched by B, the kickers can not legally touch the ball, even if it has gone 10 yards. In this respect, it's more like a scrimmage kick. If you kick it out of bounds, the receivers would get it at the previous spot (spot of kick), so it's like a weird mix of a free- and a scrimmage kick.

On a fair catch kick, if I remember correctly, I line up in my normal position, on B's goal line (LJ).

In this situation, A could also have the penalty enforced from the dead ball spot, but that would give B the FC kick option, so obviously, in this situation, that was not a realistic option.

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Subject: NFL rules ?
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2006 11:17:08 -0500

Hey,
Apparently there was some fun at the end of the Arizona Cardinals game yesterday. here is the situation as best as I understand.
Time winding down in the 4th quarter, St. Louis punts the ball to Arizona. At the snap, Arizona is off sides. Arizona then calls for a fair catch. Clock expires with the ball in the air. Now this is where I'm not quite sure I understand everything. St. Louis tries to decline the penalty, but that would've allowed Arizona a free kick to win the game. So St. Louis accepts the penalty, takes the snap and kneels down to end the game.

Is this an NFL rule? Or I might be missing something here. My principal at school asked me about it and I thought I would ask an expert!

just curious,
Thank you, sir!