Fair Catch rules

[ElvisLives]

For NCAA football, 6-5-1-c is very clear: "Rules pertaining to a fair catch apply only when a scrimmage kick crosses the neutral zone or during free kicks."
So, if a player of Team B gives a signal behind/in/beyond the neutral zone, but the ball does not cross the neutral zone, the signal means nothing. The ball remains alive and in play, and players of either team may catch or recover, and advance the ball.

6-5-3-c & d reinforce 6-5-1-c by further stating that INVALID signals made beyond the NZ apply only to Team B, and invalid signals beyond the NZ are possible ONLY when the ball crosses the NZ. So, with all of these rules, ANY signal made by either team when the ball does not cross the NZ are simply nothing. Play on.
If any kind of signal is made by Team B (anywhere on the field) when the ball crosses the NZ (sooner or later), the ball is dead and may not be advanced by either team when it comes into possession by any player.

A signal made by a player of Team A beyond the NZ, and the ball crosses the NZ, is nonsensical, since we know they can't advance the ball, anyway.
 

[dammitbobby]

This is much more likely to be relevant at the HS level instead of NCAA (scrimmage kick not crossing NZ) but I've had a play happen where it went straight up, was caught by A one yard behind NZ, and then he just pitched the ball (that he assumed to be a dead ball at that point) to his sideline; I would think it's not rare, but maybe just uncommon that in a situation like that, B could come racing up to giving a FC signal. Just have to be alert and process what happens, and where.

[bossman72]

So, if a player of Team B gives a signal behind/in/beyond the neutral zone, but the ball does not cross the neutral zone, the signal means nothing. The ball remains alive and in play, and players of either team may catch or recover, and advance the ball. 

I think we talked about this in a thread a year or so ago.  They changed this about 10 years ago in the ARs.  This is a dead ball now.

[dammitbobby]

AR 6-5-3

A1 or B1 signals for a fair catch beyond the neutral zone during a kick that does not cross the neutral zone. RULING: Any signal by Team A is ignored. Team B may not make a fair catch signal because the ball did not
cross the neutral zone. However, the ball is dead when caught or recovered (Rules 2-8-1-a and 4-1-3-g).

Being very pedantic, this is worded incorrectly. The first sentence says A1 or B1 makes a FC signal, but in the ruling, it says B is not allowed to - is doing so a foul? Is it a violation? Is it ignored? If it's ignored (which it kind of seems to be), why doesn't it say 'Any signal by Team A OR B is ignored?'

Things to ponder, waiting on the eclipse...

[Kalle]

AR 6-5-3

A1 or B1 signals for a fair catch beyond the neutral zone during a kick that does not cross the neutral zone. RULING: Any signal by Team A is ignored. Team B may not make a fair catch signal because the ball did not
cross the neutral zone. However, the ball is dead when caught or recovered (Rules 2-8-1-a and 4-1-3-g).

Being very pedantic, this is worded incorrectly. The first sentence says A1 or B1 makes a FC signal, but in the ruling, it says B is not allowed to - is doing so a foul? Is it a violation? Is it ignored? If it's ignored (which it kind of seems to be), why doesn't it say 'Any signal by Team A OR B is ignored?'

Things to ponder, waiting on the eclipse...

My take of the A.R. is that if A1 does a high waving signal, that is ignored and the ball will continue to be in play if caught or recovered by team B. If B1 does a high waving signal, fair catch rules do not kick in but the ball will become dead when possessed by a player of either team.

[dammitbobby]

That's probably what they mean, but I don't think it's really that clear.

Additional thought - why does A's signal behind the NZ keep the ball alive after a catch, but B's doesn't?  What's the distinction between A signaling and B signaling, if they're essentially the same (both invalid)?

What if B signals, but A catches? Or if they both signal?

[ElvisLives]

Well, crap. 10 years ago was during the period that I was briefly retired. But no excuse. For a strict interpretationist like me, I should have been able to see that ANY signal given by any Team B player, anywhere on the field, while the legally kicked ball is still loose will cause the ball to become dead when possessed by Team B. Team A can always catch/recover/advance a ball that is still loose from a legal kick that has NOT crossed the NZ.
As for why Team A can advance the kicked ball that is still loose from a kick that has not crossed the NZ, after a signal by Team B, that is because Team A does not have the fair catch privilege. Only Team B. So, a Team A player can catch/recover the kicked ball before it has crossed the NZ, and advance, because everyone knows that he does not have the privilege of not being blocked/tackled when he catches/recovers the ball, regardless of which team gave a signal.
Strictly reading 2-8-2 and 2-8-3, there is no mention of where on the field the signal may, or may not be given. So, by pure interpretation, that means a there is no restriction on WHERE a signal may be given. And, they also say that the only valid signals are those by Team B, and even the only INVALD signals are those given by Team B. The quoted AR reinforces this by stating that ANY signal by Team A is ignored.
So, if Team B makes any kind of signal while the kick is still a kick, Team B may not advance it if they catch/recover it. Team A can always catch/recover/advance a kick until it has crossed the NZ (even if they give a signal).

And by signal, it does require some amount of movement that can be said to be a waving motion. Only pointing is not a signal.