Seahawks/Redskins Fair Catch Question
 

At the end of the first half in the Seahawks/Redskins game, Seattle called timeouts, ending the Redskins drive on 4th and some distance with about 3 seconds on the clock (the clock was stopped).

The announcers (Tom and Cris?) mentioned something about "that old rule that on a fair catch, you get one play, even if the clock runs out." Now, I know that announcers are often the worst sources of information, but it got me wondering.

If a period (or half) ends with a fair catch, does the receiving team get one untimed down in the NFL? NCAA? NFHS? I don't have my books (Fed) with me so I can't look that one up.

Also, I was watching the game at a sports bar when Seattle misjudged the kickoff and the Redskins recovered the kick deep. Everyone (in Seattle, where I was watching it) clapped their hands to their faces and weeped, assuming the TD. Even the announcers were unclear at first. One of those situations where being an official alleviated the fears of my buddies, and made the situation when everyone looked totally confused about it not being a TD even more funny. The expressions on their face were priceless. That is a situation so rare, that it is great to see the officials get it right.

(A similar situation happed a year or two ago in a Seahawk game, but on a punt that was muffed. Seattle recovered and started to advance, but the officials nailed it declaring the ball dead at the point of recovery. The fans were irate.)

As far as I know, yeah, that rule exists at all of those levels.

I remember reading in the book about Vince Lombardi's one season coaching the Redskins that he used it once at the end of the half, but Curt Knight missed the kick.

I'd love to see one. I couldn't tell you when the last time was that it actually happened.

REPLY: I heard that option to extend the period does exist at the NFL level, but it does not exist for either NFHS or NCAA. In fact, for NCAA, the option to free kick after a fair catch does not exist either.

In the NFL only and not, as Bob mentioned, in NFHS or NCAA, if time expired on the play and the receiver signals and makes a fair catch, the receiving team may elect to extend the period with a fair-catch kick. There is no option to snap from scrimmage.

Oops. My bad.

Here's the relevant NFHS rules:

Rule 6, Section 5, Article 4:
"The captain may choose to free kick or snap anywhere between the inbounds lines on the yard line through the spot of the catch when a fair catch is made or through the spot of interference, when a fair catch is awarded. These choices remain if a dead-ball foul occurs prior to the down, or a foul or an inadvertent whistle occurs during the down and the down is replayed."

I can't find anything that says the half can or can't be extended by an untimed down in the instance of a fair catch as the clock hits zeros. It wouldn't surprise me if it was the case, though.

I knew you could fair catch and free kick. The timing issue I wasn't aware of.

There is a rule (since I don't have my book with me I can't give you the ref #) that lists those situations in which a period can be extended. A fair catch is not one of them.

I figured there'd be a second rule somewhere that would tie it all together. Thanks.

Jim D. is correct. The NFL Rule is this:
Rule 4, Sec 3, Article 11
(g) If a fair catch is signalled and made, receivers may choose to extend
the period by one fair-catch down (10-1-6). If the first or third period is
not so extended, the receivers may start the succeding period with a snap
or fair catch kick.
(h) If no fair catch signal is given and the kickers interfere with the
receiver's opportunity to catch a kick, the receiving team may extend the
period by one down from scrimmage. If a fair catch is signaled and the
kickers interfere with the receivers opportunity to catch a kick, the
receiving team may extend the period by either one down from scrimmage
or a fair catch kick.

Apparently it has been tried in the NFL, and recently. On October 9, 2005. Jeff Fisher of the Titans called for it just before halftime.

According to the play-by-play, Houston punted from their own 14 with 11 seconds left and Tennessee's A. Thurman fair caught it at the Houston 48 with 4 seconds left. Brionas then missed a 58-yarder (the Texans returned it from inside their own end zone to their 29).

The game story said: "NFL supervisor of officials Ron Baynes said it's the first time he's seen that type of field goal attempt, where the ball is kicked like a kickoff, in 20 years of officiating."