KCI, PF, or Nuttin?
 

Fed rules...

K31 punts the ball from the K45. R32 is awaiting the kick at his own 20 and signals for a fair catch. The ball hits the ground and R32 is attempting to make a recovery. Flyer K48 puts a good, clean hit on R32 while R32 is going after the grounded kick.

A fellow official ran this one by me. I'm 100% sure it's not KCI. I needed to re-check 6-5-5 on whether K48 is allowed to block R32 after the ball hits the ground. It clearly says a ball in flight so there's no KCI. Now the question is there a personal foul. I'm pretty confident he may be blocked and couldn't find anyting rule 9 to indicate otherwise.

So, I got nuttin. Agree or disagree.

You're right that it's not KCI. All bets are off once the ball touches the ground (6-5-6). The worst you could have is a PF under 9-4-3-b and g but you've really got to have something vicious and unnecessary and/or well away from the play that is clearly malicious. Otherwise, it's just good ol' fashion hittin' when the ball is live. No foul.

REPLY: I agree with DJ. Certainly can't be KCI since at the time of the hit, a "catch" was no longer possible. One very common mistake that I see is an official calling KCI when a receiver gets hit after properly signaling and completing a catch. It can't be KCI. Might be a PF, but only if the hit is (as DJ describes it) "vicious and unnecessary."