Free Kick After Fair Catch

Simbio · #1 (**permalink**) Thu Oct 09, 2003, 09:45am

We talk about it every year, and I doubt I'll ever see it in my career (mainly because no team seems to know it) but has anyone out there seen the infamous free kick after a fair catch?

stripes1977 · #2 (**permalink**) Thu Oct 09, 2003, 09:49am

I had the potential situation in a JV game but since the team didn't have a decent kicker it really wasn't an option.

But, we did have a fair catch on a kickoff that had been moved back due to penalty. Had the kicker been able, it would have only been about 40 yards.

Theisey · #3 (**permalink**) Thu Oct 09, 2003, 10:05am

Quote:

Originally posted by Simbio
We talk about it every year, and I doubt I'll ever see it in my career (mainly because no team seems to know it) but has anyone out there seen the infamous free kick after a fair catch?

### No, but it just happened a few weeks ago out in Kansas. If I can find the link to the story, I'll post it. It was provided in one of these football forums.

#-#-# Here's a link to the story.
http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/sports/6760515.htm

[Edited by Theisey on Oct 9th, 2003 at 11:41 AM]

SWFLguy · #4 (**permalink**) Thu Oct 09, 2003, 11:59am

The Wichita Eagle article makes no
mention of a fair catch (or did I misread it ?).
It must be cool to see, though.

gsf23 · #5 (**permalink**) Thu Oct 09, 2003, 12:56pm

The article makes it sound like they caught the punt and ran it out of bounds?? That can't be right, can it.

mikesears · #6 (**permalink**) Thu Oct 09, 2003, 01:05pm

Quote:

Originally posted by gsf23
The article makes it sound like they caught the punt and ran it out of bounds?? That can't be right, can it.

Sounds like a mistake by someone. Either the story has it wrong or the officials got it wrong. The free-kick has to come after a fair catch or awarded fair catch. If they ran it out of bounds after catching it, they can't line up for a free kick.

SWFLguy · #7 (**permalink**) Thu Oct 09, 2003, 01:22pm

The Wichita Eagle article makes no
mention of a fair catch (or did I misread it ?).
It must be cool to see, though.

Theisey · #8 (**permalink**) Thu Oct 09, 2003, 01:27pm

The article was a bit on the weak side..
Try this one instead.

http://www.saljournal.com/storiesDat..._scGame1.shtml

batreferee · #9 (**permalink**) Thu Oct 09, 2003, 02:25pm

This same team and coach used this option in the 1999 5A state championship game with 5 seconds left in the first half. When they tried the field goal it failed which resulted in a touchback. The only problem was that the timekeeper started the clock and allowed it expire. The teams thinking that the clock had expired left the field. The officials after discussing it for a time made the teams come back out on the field and run the final 5 seconds off of the clock. It was funny listening to the crowd discussing what had just happened.

bluezebra · #10 (**permalink**) Thu Oct 09, 2003, 11:48pm

Back in the 50s or 60s, the Chicago Bears beat the Green Bay Packers on such a play. The Packers got off a short punt, which was fair caught. The Bears announced they were going to free-kick for a field goal. Since it had been years since this was last tried, the officials had to huddle and discuss the situation. They ruled correctly, and the Bears won.

bob

Warrenkicker · #11 (**permalink**) Sat Oct 11, 2003, 01:25pm

It's good to see all you big football-state guys discussing a play that happened in lowly Kansas. Good football is played all over the country. The Wichita paper has never been very good at getting these important details, to us, in their articles. There was another article later the next week that covered it much better and also covered some of the other odd rules we use like more than one forward pass. The Salina paper covers their football very well as they play very good football in Saline county.

Redneck Ref · #12 (**permalink**) Mon Oct 13, 2003, 11:44am

How do you do this free kick? Is it off a tee or block with holder? Where do the officials line up? I have never seen this happen.

mikesears · #13 (**permalink**) Mon Oct 13, 2003, 12:25pm

Quote:

Originally posted by Red Neck Ref
How do you do this free kick? Is it off a tee or block with holder? Where do the officials line up? I have never seen this happen.

Yes, the kicker can use the kicking tee. The mechanics state (I believe) that everyone's position is the same except the R (and I think BJ) go under the uprights to rule if the kick is good.

I don't have my mechanics manual with me so I'm not 100% sure of the mechanics other than it is treated as any other free kick with the exception that it can score a field goal if is passes between the uprights.

RookieDude · #14 (**permalink**) Mon Oct 13, 2003, 02:46pm

Quote:

Originally posted by mikesears

Quote:

Originally posted by Red Neck Ref
How do you do this free kick? Is it off a tee or block with holder? Where do the officials line up? I have never seen this happen.

Yes, the kicker can use the kicking tee. The mechanics state (I believe) that everyone's position is the same except the R (and I think BJ) go under the uprights to rule if the kick is good.

I don't have my mechanics manual with me so I'm not 100% sure of the mechanics other than it is treated as any other free kick with the exception that it can score a field goal if is passes between the uprights.

The R goes under the uprights?

RD

Bob M. · #15 (**permalink**) Mon Oct 13, 2003, 03:32pm

[QUOTE]Originally posted by RookieDude

Quote:

The R goes under the uprights?

RD

REPLY: In Federation mechanics, yes, it's supposed to be the R under the post. I don't like it, but then again they don't ask me my opinion.

Also, the ball does not have to be held on the tee by a holder. It can be set up on the kicking tee just like a kickoff.