Numerous "fair catcthers"

[whitehat]

This has not happend to me but I am wondering if I were a coach I might consider it.

How many R players may, on the same play, legally signal for a Fair Catch?
I am thinking of onside situations primarily or even a two deep punt return. As soon as the ball is kicked (onside), why couldn't all R players give a Fair catch signal? That way no K could touch any R before they tried to catch the ball. I see this especially relevant when K charges down knocking R players out of the way on a short kick.

As far as I can tell the rule only specifies that the player giving the FC signal is protected and cannot block until the kick ends.... doesn't say how many players can give FC signal

any thoughts....

[Mike L]

11 players may make a fair catch signal.
However, realize the restrictions. Only R's who give a valid signal get protection. A valid signal can only be given when the kick is in flight. With most onside kicks, that's going to be impossible to do since the kick is almost immediately grounded. In all likelihood, all R is going to do is buy multiple invalid signal calls.
On a 2 deep punt, what's it going to accomplish really? They all signal FC as soon as it's punted. That means none of them can block until the kick ends. If any of them make any movement toward a covering K and that movement isn't an attempt to catch the ball, I'd say they are trying to block, wouldn't you? So all the R's now have to step out of the way of the covering K's. And I would say any incidental contact well away from where the ball is actually going is just that, incidental. Sounds like a recipe for disaster if the R really trying to catch the kick muffs it since he's going to be surrounded by about 10 K's.

[NorCalRef12]

Originally Posted by whitehat

This has not happend to me but I am wondering if I were a coach I might consider it.

How many R players may, on the same play, legally signal for a Fair Catch?
I am thinking of onside situations primarily or even a two deep punt return. As soon as the ball is kicked (onside), why couldn't all R players give a Fair catch signal? That way no K could touch any R before they tried to catch the ball. I see this especially relevant when K charges down knocking R players out of the way on a short kick.

As far as I can tell the rule only specifies that the player giving the FC signal is protected and cannot block until the kick ends.... doesn't say how many players can give FC signal

any thoughts....

One point to note on this situation is that if it is a free kick that has not touched the ground, all R players already have protection as long as they are in the general area of the ball, whether they are trying to catch it or not.

If the ball HAS touched the ground (K tops it and then it hops up in the air) then signalling for a fair catch would actually be an invalid FC signal since the kick has already been grounded.