Invalid Fair Catch

[Rich]

Originally posted by SeanWest
I just want to reiterate what SJoldguy said. I may be new at this but I do know that just because the man didn't blow his whistle doesn't mean the ball isn't dead.I think a lot of non-officials have trouble with this concept.

-SW---

And officials should get on board with it if they're not.

My biggest fear as a R is that we'll have a fair catch signal followed by a muffed punt and an IW because so many officials feel that they need to give a quick whistle to "protect R."

I cover every week in my pregame that the signal combined with R possession affords the protection, not the whistle, and that the BJ/LJ *must* ascertain possession before whistling.

On the original situation, the play is killed once R possesses the ball, invalid signal or not. I'm inclined to use judgment on whether K is expected to avoid contact -- if the signal is so bad that a reasonable non-official wouldn't see it as a signal, I may not hit K with a flag. If it's just an invalid signal that I'd expect K to react to, I'd hit K with a PF.

--Rich