Fair Catch signal

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by john_faz

My questions are:

(1) Does the ball become dead after a grounded scrimmage kick is possessed by Team R that signaled for a fair catch? and

(2) Is it a foul when a R player signals for a fair catch, fails to catch it in flight and then possesses after the kick is grounded?

Thanks for the help.

1. Yes. 4-2-2(g):
"The ball becomes dead and the down is ended:
g. Following a valid or invalid fair-catch signal given by any member of the
receiving team when a scrimmage kick or free kick is caught or recovered
by any member of the receiving team beyond, in or behind the neutral zone."

2. No, provided the signal occurs before the recovery, as your question suggests. 2-9-4:
"An invalid fair-catch signal is any signal by a receiver before the kick
is caught or recovered:
a. That does not meet the requirements of a valid signal.
b. After the kick has touched a receiver.
c. After the kick has touched the ground."