Fair Catch - Free Kick

[Texas_Newbie]

Free kick.... B10 gives fair signal but B25 catches at the B 17yd. Ball on 17 correct? or 25?

Free kick: B33 fair catch signal at the B 20yd, muffs, recovers at the B 13yd. Ball on 13 or 25?

[Legacy Zebra]

17 and 13 respectively. To get the 25, the player who signals must catch the kick. If a teammate catches the kick or if nobody catches the kick, the ball belongs to Team B where they catch or recover the kick. ARs 6-5-1-III and 6-5-3-IV.

[Texas_Newbie]

Thank you LZ... I forgot to ask, what if 2 players give a fair catch signal (say B10 and B24)? Are we spotting the ball at the 25 or where 1 caught it (inside the 25)?

[Legacy Zebra]

There’s no restriction on how many players are allowed to signal. If one of the players who signals catches the kick, it goes to the 25. If not, it stays where it’s caught. So if B10 and B24 both signal and B24 catches it, it goes to the 25. If B10 and B24 both signal and B77 catches it, it stays where B77 catches it.

[Texas_Newbie]

Thank you for your insight.

[bctgp]

Another one to ponder....

Free Kick play and B5 signals fair catch and muffs the kick in flight at the B-2. The ball rolls into the end zone where B5 recovers it.  Touchback?

[Legacy Zebra]

Yes. It becomes dead when and where Team B recovers the ball after a fair catch signal. The impetus on the ball is still A’s kick. Since it becomes dead behind B’s goal line and A is responsible for it being there, it’s a touchback.