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« Last post by ElvisLives on April 08, 2024, 01:36:56 PM »
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.
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