KCI or nah?

[dammitbobby]

Don't know how to download the video, it's in the Texas High School Football Officials FB group, but I'll describe it as best as I can.

A punts the ball; B3 signals fair catch (note in the video, you can't see him make the signal, but let's assume for discussion purposes he did, since there's nothing to discuss if he didn't.)

The ball bounces forward off of B4's helmet.  Judging from the arc of the ball, it would have hit the ground 4-5 yards directly ahead of B4.  A3 is approximately 3-4 yards directly ahead of the receiver, and as the ball boinks past him, he reaches up and catches it.  A3 would have had to dive to catch the muffed ball, and probably wouldn't have. 

What 's your take? 

I *think* I have KCI.  By touching the ball, he was not given him the opportunity to complete the catch.  Could the receiver have made the catch, probably not, but he is still afforded that opportunity.  I think it's kind of the same as illegal touching, if a kick bounces off someone's heel - you may not have meant to, but it still touched you, it's still a violation.

[Snapper]

Don't know how to download the video, it's in the Texas High School Football Officials FB group, but I'll describe it as best as I can.

A punts the ball; B3 signals fair catch (note in the video, you can't see him make the signal, but let's assume for discussion purposes he did, since there's nothing to discuss if he didn't.)

The ball bounces forward off of B4's helmet.  Judging from the arc of the ball, it would have hit the ground 4-5 yards directly ahead of B4.  A3 is approximately 3-4 yards directly ahead of the receiver, and as the ball boinks past him, he reaches up and catches it.  A3 would have had to dive to catch the muffed ball, and probably wouldn't have. 

What 's your take? 

I *think* I have KCI.  By touching the ball, he was not given him the opportunity to complete the catch.  Could the receiver have made the catch, probably not, but he is still afforded that opportunity.  I think it's kind of the same as illegal touching, if a kick bounces off someone's heel - you may not have meant to, but it still touched you, it's still a violation.

The video doesn't show up for me.  And the player numbers in the description seem off or confusing.

I think that you are saying that B3 signals for a fair catch.  But it bounces off of B4's helmet instead.  And into the arms of A3, who was 3-4 yds ahead of B4.

So if I'm understanding you right, the signaler didn't muff the kick, his teammate did.

No foul.  It's A's ball.

[ElvisLives]

I actually think he is trying to say that the ball bounced off of the signaler's head, and ricocheted forward some 4 to 5 yards. A kicking team player then caught the ball, at that approximate distance in front of the signaler. I think he is saying the the signaler's only hope of completing the catch would have been to dive forward, to possibly catch the ball as it fell near the ground. But, he thinks even then it would have been unlikely that the signaler could have completed the catch.

Upon those interpretations, there is no foul. Yes, 6-5-1-b extends KCI to a signaler that muffs the ball and still has an opportunity to complete the catch. But, in this case, by the description, it doesn't sound like the signaler truly had an opportunity to complete the catch.

[dammitbobby]

Elvis is correct in what I was trying to say, I just made up numbers because I couldn't discern them in the video. 

I realize this is more of a philosophy/interpretation of the words 'opportunity to make the catch' and appreciate yall chiming in.  Stuff like this is the hardest for me to learn/get right.