Opportunity to Catch a Kick, Fair Catch#

Section 1 — Opportunity to Catch a Kick#

Article 1 — Interference#

During a scrimmage kick that crosses the line of scrimmage, or during a free kick, members of the kicking team are prohibited from interfering with any receiver making an attempt to catch the airborne kick, or from obstructing or hindering his path to the airborne kick, regardless of whether any signal was given. It is not a foul if the scrimmage or free kick is clearly uncatchable. An uncatchable kick is defined as an airborne kick that is either clearly out of bounds or not in the vicinity of the receiver.

Item 1. Contact with Receiver. It is interference if a player of the kicking team contacts the receiver, or causes a passive player of either team to contact the receiver, before or simultaneous to the receiver touching the ball. It is not a foul if a kicking team player is blocked into the receiver or the contact is the result of a foul.

Item 2. Right of Way. A receiver who is moving toward a kicked ball that is in flight has the right of way. If opponents obstruct his path to the ball, or cause a passive player of either team to obstruct his path, it is interference, even if there is no contact, or if he catches the ball in spite of the interference, and regardless of whether any signal was given.

Penalties:

(a) For interference with the opportunity to make a catch when a prior signal has not been made: Loss of 15 yards from the spot of the foul, and the offended team is entitled to put the ball in play by a snap from scrimmage. If such interference is a personal foul for unnecessary roughness, the 15-yard penalty will be enforced from the spot of the foul or the previous spot.

(b) For interfering with a fair catch after a signal: Loss of 15 yards from the spot of the foul. A fair catch is awarded even if the ball is not caught. If such interference is a personal foul for unnecessary roughness, the 15-yard penalty will be enforced from the spot of the foul or the previous spot.

Note: If the foul is not part of a double foul and the opponent has possession at the end of the down, the foul may be enforced from the dead ball spot. See 14-2-4.

Section 2 — Fair Catch#

Article 1 — Definition#

A fair catch is an unhindered catch of a scrimmage kick that has crossed the line of scrimmage and has not touched the ground or of a free kick that has not touched the ground, by a player of the receiving team who has given a valid fair catch signal. A fair catch may be followed by a fair catch kick (see 11-4-3).

Article 2 — Fair Catch Signal#

Item 1. Valid Fair Catch Signal. A fair catch signal is valid if it is made while the kick is in flight by a player who fully extends one arm above his helmet and waves it from side to side. A receiver is permitted to legally raise his hand(s) to his helmet to shield his eyes from the sun but is not permitted to raise them above his helmet except to signal for a fair catch.

Item 2. Invalid Fair Catch Signal. If a player raises his hand(s) above his shoulder(s) in any other manner, it is an invalid fair catch signal. If there is an invalid fair catch signal, the ball is dead when caught or recovered by any player of the receiving team, but it is not a fair catch. (The ball is not dead if it touches an opponent before or after it strikes the ground. See Article 3-b). A signal given behind the line of scrimmage is ignored.

Penalty: For an invalid fair catch signal: Loss of five yards from the spot of the signal. If the foul occurs in Team B’s end zone during a free kick, it is enforced from the previous spot.

Item 3. Muff. After a valid fair catch signal, the opportunity to catch a kick does not end if the ball is muffed. A player who signaled for a fair catch must have a reasonable opportunity to catch the muffed ball before it hits the ground without interference by members of the kicking team, and regardless of whether the ball strikes another player or an official.

Penalty: For interference with the opportunity to make a fair catch after a muff: A fair catch is awarded at the spot of the interference even if the ball is not caught. If such interference is a personal foul for unnecessary roughness, a 15-yard penalty will be enforced from the spot of the foul or the previous spot.

Item 4. Intentional Muff. An intentional muff forward prior to a catch is an illegal bat (see 12-5-1).

Item 5. Illegal Block. Until the ball touches a teammate or an opponent, a player who makes a valid or invalid fair catch signal is prohibited from blocking or initiating contact with a player of the kicking team.

Penalty: For an illegal block after a fair catch signal: Loss of 15 yards from the spot of the foul. If the foul occurs in Team B’s end zone during a free kick, it is enforced from the previous spot.

Article 3 — Restrictions#

(a) If a player of the receiving team makes a valid fair catch signal, and the ball is not touched by a player of the kicking team, the following apply:

(1) If he catches the ball, it is dead immediately, and it is a fair catch. If he muffs the ball, but catches it before it touches the ground, it is also a fair catch.

(2) If he recovers the ball after it strikes the ground, it is dead immediately, but it is not a fair catch.

(3) If the ball is caught or recovered by a teammate who did not make a valid fair catch signal, the ball is dead immediately, but it is not a fair catch.

(b) If the ball touches a player of the kicking team, before or after it strikes the ground, any player of the receiving team may catch or recover it and advance. If a player of the receiving team who has given a valid fair catch signal catches the ball before it hits the ground and elects not to advance the ball, it is a fair catch.

(c) If a receiver has made a fair catch, an opponent is prohibited from unnecessarily contacting or tackling him, or causing a passive player of either team to unnecessarily contact him. Incidental contact is not a foul.

Penalty: For illegal contact with a player who has made a fair catch: Loss of 15 yards from the dead ball spot and disqualification if flagrant.

Article 4 — Putting Ball in Play After Fair Catch#

After a fair catch is made or is awarded as the result of fair catch interference, the receiving team has the option of putting the ball in play by a snap or fair catch kick (drop kick or place kick without a tee) from the spot of the catch or succeeding spot after enforcement of any applicable penalties (3-9 and 11-4-3). This includes the 15-yard penalty enforced from the receiving team’s 20-yard line as applicable if the fair catch is made or awarded in his end zone from fair catch interference or illegal contact with the receiver after he has made a fair catch.

Article 5 — Extension of a Period#

If time expires during a play in which a player has signaled for a fair catch, the following shall apply:

(a) If the player makes a fair catch, the receiving team may elect to extend the period with a fair catch kick, but does not have the option to extend the period by a snap from scrimmage.

(b) If the kicking team interferes with a receiver who has signaled for a fair catch, the receiving team will have the option to extend the period by attempting a fair catch kick or by a snap from scrimmage after enforcement of any applicable penalties.