Interfering with Opportunity to Make a Fair Catch ? (video)

[TXMike]

I guess the only question I have is whether or not they would have flagged Team A if they had made a simple tackle of the returner had he completed this "fair catch" without a bobble.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74KP2BU5kYM

[AIAFA171]

Faircatch is supposed to give protection to the receiver  until the ball is still airborn.
To me this is a solid Kick Catch Interference ball.
If no fair catch would have been made then it would be a legal play.
IMHO
ciao

[TXMike]

So the signal you saw was VALID fair catch signal?

[Osric Pureheart]

At 1:04, looks more than good enough to me.

[El Macman]

Easy to replay armchair, but that ain't a valid signal.

[Kalle]

Yup, once over the head is not enough for a valid signal.

[TxSkyBolt]

By the letter of the rule, this is an invalid fair catch signal as he didn't wave his hand from side to side more than once.  I don't think it's called that technically though in today's modern game.  O clearly read the intent of the signal, so with that, we have KCI.  To answer your question about tackling after the receiver completed the catch, that would be a dead ball personal foul.

Best regards,

Brad

[TXMike]

At least you are consistent Brad

[mbyron]

Yup, once over the head is not enough for a valid signal.

Perhaps you're right, but the covering official did not flag an invalid signal by the receiver. He flagged KCI by the kicking team.

I wondered why this would be KCI and found AR 6-4-1-VII:
B10 signals for a fair catch, muffs the ball and then catches it. RULING:
If B10 has an opportunity to catch the kick after the muff, he must be
given an unimpeded opportunity to complete the catch. If B10 catches
the muffed kick, the ball is dead where he first touched it.

I take it that there would have been no foul on A in this play had B been flagged for an invalid signal.

For NFHS this would not have been KCI. The opportunity to catch the kick ends with the muff.

[TXMike]

Invalid signal is not a foul in NCAA rules

[AIAFA171]

So the signal you saw was VALID fair catch signal?

Thanks Mike!
When I saw it the first time ... I tough that what I saw was a proper signals.
But then I went after fair catch definition as far NCAA rules are concerned:
RULE 2-7-2 states "A valid signal is a signal given by a player of Team B who has obviously signaled his intention by extending one hand only clearly above his head and waiving that hand side to side of his body MORE THAN ONCE".
All fine until the side by side (and you can give him it with generosity), but signal was done only once.

Then KCI call does look less correct!

Ciao e GRAZIE!

[TXMike]

Prego.

As you see in this thread, there is some disagreement over interpretation here.  In some circles, this signal is enough to qualify as a valid fair catch signal so they are giving the added protection.  My question for those who believe that is, are you also going to flag Team A for making a "simple" tackle of the signaller after the catch.   

[110]

Been a while since I played with NHFS rules, and I know little about NCAA interps, but isn't there a two-yard kick-catching halo the defenders have to honour, fair-catch signal or otherwise?

[TXMike]

Halo no longer exists in NCAA   

[Curious]

Halo no longer exists in NCAA

And there NEVER WAS a "Halo/2-yd belt" in Federation rules (at least not over the last 40 years)!

[chymechowder]

By the letter of the rule, this is an invalid fair catch signal as he didn't wave his hand from side to side more than once.  I don't think it's called that technically though in today's modern game. 

agreed. it seems that a single wave above the head has become a de facto valid signal. probably should be tightened up, but I dont see that happening unless a team B return man gets absolutley destroyed on a bang bang single wave/catch and the officials (correctly) don't flag the play b/c the receiver isn't entitled to protection. (aside from personal fouls, of course.)

until then, it's like all parties--team A, team B, and officials--have come to accept one hand clearly above the head as meeting the validity threshhold.