NFHS Fair Catch Rule

[Canned Heat]

Originally Posted by VALJ

Bingo. As soon as R makes the catch, the ball is dead, so it's a DBPF enforced from the succeeding spot (the spot of the catch, in this case).

There you have it.

[Robert Goodman]

People here are losing sight of the actual play, where there was no catch. A fair catch had been signaled by R1, and then after the ball had rolled a distance R1 ran to where it was surrounded by K players and picked it up while it was still rolling.

OK, the ball is dead, but who among the players is responsible for recognizing that before an official signals so, and under circumstances where (a) R1 apparently attempted to advance, (b) R1 made no apparent attempt to advance? Are players of K supposed to remember a fair catch had been signaled and therefore flagged for UR in either case, or only in case (b)? Or is there no foul by K for a "normal" hit in either case? Presumably in case (a) you'd enforce the penalty for the dead ball foul on R first for delay of game, and then if K also fouled that would come next. If there are indeed 2 fouls, then the order of enforcement could be important, because this could very well be a case where the spot was close to R's goal line. (Like, K was trying to milk a little more distance out of the punt, and R1, realizing the ball would not make the goal line, put a stop to it.)

Robert