Strange NFL play

[rdacav32]

Today in a NFL game, there was an attempt at a fair catch by a receiver. While the ball was in the air, the kickers blocked a second receiver into the receiver attempting to make the fair catch. The block by K obstructed the fair catcher's path to the ball and the ball then struck the second receiver's leg on the fly. The referee explained that once the second receiver was blocked into the fair catcher, it "negated" the fair catch. Does this make any sense? I could understand if the second receiver blocked K into the fair catcher, but that is not what happened. K blocked the second R into the fair catcher. Can somebody explain this one to me?

[bossman72]

That's a good play by K!

I actually asked a similar question earlier in the year and no, this is not forced touching or KCI or anything.

[HLin NC]

Saw it and I enjoyed as this same topic, minus the touching by R, came up in our association and was later posted here on this board, I believe. One official in our group was pretty adamant that this was a foul by K.

The initial ruling today was that K (Panthers) committed illegal touching but not KCI. However the officials huddled a second time and that is when the ruling came out that the ball had been touched by R (edskins). Zorn challenged but lost.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by rdacav32

Today in a NFL game, there was an attempt at a fair catch by a receiver. While the ball was in the air, the kickers blocked a second receiver into the receiver attempting to make the fair catch. The block by K obstructed the fair catcher's path to the ball and the ball then struck the second receiver's leg on the fly. The referee explained that once the second receiver was blocked into the fair catcher, it "negated" the fair catch. Does this make any sense? I could understand if the second receiver blocked K into the fair catcher, but that is not what happened. K blocked the second R into the fair catcher. Can somebody explain this one to me?

K certainly has the right to continue blocking until the play is dead, because a fair catch does not guarantee R with possession. If K's blocking involves R losing their FC right, so be it.

Good play by K.

[BktBallRef]

The exact same play happened in the Colts-Titans game on Sunday evening. Colts signalled FC, teammate was blocked into the receiver, muff, recovery by the Titans.

[Theisey]

Don't have any NFL rules handy, but if this were to have occurred in an NCAA game, it would also not be a foul by the kicking team.