Fair Catch question

[FredFan7]

Late in the game, 4th and 10 for K at the K 10 yard line. K leads 8-6. K punts the ball. R21 signals for a fair catch, and the ball is caught by R31 at the K 45 yard line. Team R wants to make a free kick and try to score a field goal. Is this allowed?

[Bob M.]

REPLY: In Federation football, yes, it's allowed. They will line up just like it's a kickoff. The ball can be placed on a tee or held by a holder. The receivers will be the standard 10 yards away. If the kicker boots it through, his team gets three points and wins the game. If he misses, but the ball reaches the endzone, it's a touchback and the opponents take over at their 20. If the kick ends up short of the endzone, the receivers better cover it. Since it's a free kick, once it goes 10 yards, it's a free ball. And remember that since we're down near the end of the game, the clock is important. The clock will not start until the ball is legally touched. That means touched by R anywhere or by K after the ball has gone 10 yards.

In NCAA football, this option is not available. They must put the ball in play from scrimmage.

Ignore...Obviously, I can't read!

[Edited by Bob M. on Mar 17th, 2005 at 02:50 PM]

[Warrenkicker]

Not so fast.

SECTION 5 FAIR CATCH
ART. 1 Any receiver may signal for a fair catch while any legal kick is in flight. Any receiver who has given a valid or invalid fair-catch signal is prohibited from blocking until the kick has ended.
ART. 2 It is a fair catch and the ball is dead if any receiver gives a valid fair-catch signal, as in Article 1, and he catches a free-kick in or beyond the neutral zone to R’s goal line, or a scrimmage kick beyond the neutral zone to R’s goal line.
ART. 3 Only the receiver who gives a valid signal is afforded protection. If, after a receiver signals, the catch is made by a teammate, it is not a fair catch but the ball becomes dead.

It is not a fair catch if the player who catches the ball did not signal. The ball becomes dead if another player signalled but they don't have the option of a free-kick.

[Bob M.]

Ooops! I misread. I didn't realize that the signaller was not the same one who caught the ball. Of course, you're right. This isn't a fair catch and therefore no option to free kick exists.

[Mike Simonds]

But if R31 also signaled, it would be a fair catch correct?

If R31 did not signal, then the ball becomes dead but its not a fair catch.

[KWH]

Answers for Mike Simonds:

1) Yes, 6-5-1 & 6-5-2

2) Yes, 6-5-3

[ljudge]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bob M.
If the kicker boots it through, his team gets three points and wins the game. QUOTE]

Careful. Assuming this were a truly a fair catch and there was :02 remaining on the clock. If the kicker booted it through remember free kick timing rules apply. In this scenario no time should run off the clock so if the kick were good there would be at least one other free kick in the game, and if that wasn't returned (OOB or TB), there would be enough time for another scrimmage play. We could have 2 free kicks in total with no time off the clock.

I know you knew that Bob. I'm just being anal. It's something for everybody to think about however.

[Bob M.]

REPLY: ljudge...yes I did remember that. In fact, I mentioned the importance of knowing when to start the clock in the same post where I apologized for not being able to read. But you're right...We didn't know exactly how much time remained (only "late in the game") so my statement that B would win the game was a mite premature!

[ljudge]

Bob - man I'm a bonehead sometimes. Heck, you only underlined it. That's what I get for not reading the entire message carefully. I left off at "wins the game" like a dope! The reason I even replied to this is I forgot this on a test question once and it reminded me of that mistake. My bad.