Author Topic: Free kick after awarded fair catch  (Read 19423 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Ralph Damren

  • *
  • Posts: 5151
  • FAN REACTION: +875/-28
  • SEE IT-THINK IT-CALL IT
Re: Free kick after awarded fair catch
« Reply #25 on: October 26, 2023, 11:42:23 AM »
We need to remember,too, that the rationale for this rule was to prevent the kicking team from stacking players for a planned onside kick, not a free kick for a field goal.

We also  need to remember that the players just thought they had won when they were celebrating.

IMHO, neither should be  ^flag for errors by officials.

Remember, it's better to plan for it and not need it, then to need it and not have a clue. tiphat:

Offline NVFOA_Ump

  • *
  • Posts: 4246
  • FAN REACTION: +107/-408
  • High School (MA & RI)
    • Massachusetts Independent Football Officials Association
Re: Free kick after awarded fair catch
« Reply #26 on: October 26, 2023, 02:14:10 PM »
We need to remember,too, that the rationale for this rule was to prevent the kicking team from stacking players for a planned onside kick, not a free kick for a field goal.

We also  need to remember that the players just thought they had won when they were celebrating.

IMHO, neither should be  ^flag for errors by officials.

Remember, it's better to plan for it and not need it, then to need it and not have a clue. tiphat:


Thanks Ralph for some simple New England common sense here.
It's easy to get the players, getting 'em to play together, that's the hard part. - Casey Stengel

Offline CalhounLJ

  • *
  • Posts: 3044
  • FAN REACTION: +141/-1010
  • Without officials... it is only recess.
Re: Free kick after awarded fair catch
« Reply #27 on: October 26, 2023, 02:49:50 PM »
We need to remember,too, that the rationale for this rule was to prevent the kicking team from stacking players for a planned onside kick, not a free kick for a field goal.

We also  need to remember that the players just thought they had won when they were celebrating.

IMHO, neither should be  ^flag for errors by officials.

Remember, it's better to plan for it and not need it, then to need it and not have a clue. tiphat:

Yes. Good old common sense is hard to find around here.

Offline bama_stripes

  • *
  • Posts: 3205
  • FAN REACTION: +126/-29
Re: Free kick after awarded fair catch
« Reply #28 on: October 27, 2023, 07:08:12 AM »
This is true. the formation should be legal before we hand the ball to the kicker. On the very rare occasions I have had to flag this, the formation became illegal after the RFP when a player or players shifted to the other side just before the ball was kicked. blow it and throw it, dead ball, illegal formation.

Saw this on film last week.  The “common-tater” ( a former coach) just couldn’t understand how there could be a false start on a kickoff.  cRaZy