Quote:
Originally Posted by Welpe
It's any bounce technically. The chance you'd see it on anything other than a direct drive into the ground is so infinitesimal you'd need 400 level statistics to figure it out.  |
No, it only applies to balls kicked directly into the ground. If they scoot one that goes 5 yards and then bounces, the receiving team does NOT have fair catch options.
Here is the exact wording of the rule
During a free kick a player of the receiving team in position to receive the
ball has the same kick-catch and fair-catch protection whether the ball is
kicked directly off the tee or is immediately driven to the ground, strikes the
ground once and goes into the air in the manner of the ball kicked directly
off the tee.
Two reasons for this rule change:
1. Apparently there were crews that struggled with distinguishing the quick pound into the ground and a pooch kick.
2. The result of this action is similar to a pooch kick and the receiving team is very vulnerable looking up for the recovery.