Scrimmage kick play

[Jim D]

Let me clarify, once the ball touches R33, R45 can be legally contacted. He no longer has any protection from his fair catch signal nor does he have protection from his being in position to catch a kick. That was what I thought the question was aimed at and the point I was going for.

As always, any contact with an opponent must be legal. It can't be holding or unecessary roughness, etc. If the tackle is just as R45's is trying to catch the ball, this would most likely be legal. If it's well ahead of a possible catch, you could rule that K was holding R. This would be judgement call.