Free Kick Question

[Bob M.]

REPLY: parepat...you're correct that nothing in the Federation rules explicitly says when the receiver's protection ends. Conversely, the NCAA rules do say that the protection ends when the kick touches the ground.

I believe that's the way it intended to be interpreted in Federation code as well. If not, wouldn't the receivers have a distinct unfair advantage in pursuing a kick that either team could legally possess, i.e. a free kick beyond R's restraining line or a scrimmage kick that has been touched by R beyond the NZ?

I believe that this is the reason that R's protection ends when a fair catch is no longer possible. Just my opinion.