Invalid Fair Catch Signal???

[BroKen62]

Originally Posted by GPC2

Maybe I am being too technical. But K just touched the ball down after it had come to rest. They never actually "recovered" the ball. I thought it was Invalid Fair Catch signal, but there was discussion that since it wasn't recovered there was no foul.

I believe the rule states that an invalid fair catch is a catch AFTER it hit the ground and BEFORE it was recovered. Whether or not it was subsequently recovered has no influence on the call. If the kid signaled for a fair catch while the ball was loose on the ground, it's an invalid fair catch.

Now, if R had signalled AFTER another R had picked it up, then we have an ILLEGAL fair catch. 2-9-5 . . . An illegal fair-catch signal is any signal by a runner:
a. After the kick has been caught.
b. After the kick has been recovered.

If R Signals after K touches a ball that has come to rest, or recovers a ball that is rolling on the ground, the action by k has killed the ball, so all we have is an R player waving his hand in the air, no foul.