You make the call mid-week 9/23/2009

VolFan1 · September 23rd, 2009, 08:27 PM

White has ball 4th and 3 from their own 40. White goes into punt formation. Ball is punted to red 20. Red #3 gives a valid fair catch signal. The ball bounces off red #3's shoulder pad and bounces straight up in the air. White #54 pushes red #3 out of the way in an effort to catch the ball in the air. White #54 dives and catches the ball at the red 19 yard line, where the ball becomes dead.

What do we have?

A - White ball 1st and 10 from the 19
B - Foul on white for kick catch interference. 1st and 10 for red after the penalty is marked off.
C -2 points for red since white did not allow the chance at a return
D - Foul on white for kick catch interference. Red has option to take the ball where the play ended or push white back 15 yards and replay 4th down.

dptide · September 24th, 2009, 01:04 PM

D. Because the muff did not hit the ground so he still had an oppurtnity to catch the ball under fair catch protection.

NYBamaFan · September 24th, 2009, 05:20 PM

All that I know is that it should be A, but some of these rules were written to protect kids, not to make sense from a competitive perspective.

If it isn't A, I hope that it is C. That would just make its absurdity more evident...

VolFan1 · September 24th, 2009, 10:38 PM

	Quote:	NYBamaFan
	All that I know is that it should be A, but some of these rules were written to protect kids, not to make sense from a competitive perspective. If it isn't A, I hope that it is C. That would just make its absurdity more evident...

You are right, it is A. Once R touches (muffs) it, he loses his fair catch protection.

This is one rule that is opposite what the pros can do and it seems that the safety aspect is left in for the pros, but not high school. Kind of backwards IMO.

It can be found under rule 6 in the NFHS book. I think it is rule 6-5-?

bamajake · September 25th, 2009, 09:53 AM

6-5-6 to be exact VolFan. In high school ball, the protection against kick catching interference and the protection given by a fair catch signal end when the ball is touched by the receiver when the ball is muffed.

VolFan1 · September 25th, 2009, 03:05 PM

	Quote:	bamajake
	6-5-6 to be exact VolFan. In high school ball, the protection against kick catching interference and the protection given by a fair catch signal end when the ball is touched by the receiver when the ball is muffed.

Thanks. This is a rule I would have missed. He heard about it this week in our meeting. I think it stems from the same type play happening in the Titans game this past week, except there they still have KCI.