Invalid Fair Catch Signal???

[ajmc]

Originally Posted by GPC2

My play: K punted the ball to R. The ball was high, but a tad shorter than R11 expected it to be. The ball hit the ground and then R11 gave a legal fair catch signal, but didn't recover the ball. The ball was subsequently downed by K.

My question: is this nothing or is this an Invalid Fair Catch Signal?


Rule 2-9-4c states: An invalid fair-catch signal is any signal by a receiver before the kick is caught or recovered after the kick has touched the ground.


Well, in my situation, the kick was never recovered after the kick touched the ground.

Am I missing something? You state, "The ball was subsequently downed by K.". NF: 2-36-1 defines "A recovery is gaining possession of a live ball after it strikes the ground....."

NF: 4-2-2-f advises, "The ball becomes dead and the down is ended: (f) when the kickers catch or recover a scrimmage kick beyond the Neutral Zone and when the kickers are first to touch a scrimmage kick after it has come to rest beyond the NZ between the goal lines."

"Downing" is an unofficial term commonly used to refer to K's securing possession of either a free or scrimmage kick.