Who knew this was possible?
Brilliant

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/oklahoma-state-player-uses-fair-catch-to-exploit-rule-book-and-ruin-a-texas-tech-onside-kick-202747283.html

Are you allowed to call a fair catch if it's already hit the ground?

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Who knew this was possible?

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Males that watch football knew

Definitely Not A Cop said:

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Are you allowed to call a fair catch if it's already hit the ground?

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That's my question as well.

Everybody on the board knew.

Just like everybody on the board knows everything.

Somehow, they didn't get hired to coach the team, nor were good enough to ever play. But they are all experts.

Definitely Not A Cop said:

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Are you allowed to call a fair catch if it's already hit the ground?

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The ball isnt live for the kicking team until it goes past 10 yards

If it hits the ground past the 10 yards it would not be able to be a fair catch

But my guess is they change this

No fair catches allowed after a bounce. That's why kickers bounce it on onside kick attempts. If you just kick it up, the receiving team will just call a fair catch and ensure possession.

HJack20 said:

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No fair catches allowed after a bounce. That's why kickers bounce it on onside kick attempts. If you just kick it up, the receiving team will just call a fair catch and ensure possession.

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After a bounce past 10 yards

This kick was into the ground inside of 10 yards

But the receiving team is allowed to catch it out of the air if its in the air while crossing the 10 yards

Its not exactly in the spirit of the game though I suppose.

BMX Bandit said:

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Quote:

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Who knew this was possible?

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Lawyers that watch football knew

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FIFY

From rule book:

SECTION 5. Fair Catch
Dead Where Caught
ARTICLE 1. a. If a Team B player makes a fair catch, the ball becomes dead where caught and belongs to Team B at that spot. [Exception: If a Team B player makes a fair catch of a free kick behind Team B's 25-yard line, the ball belongs to Team B at its own 25-yard line.
The next snap shall be from midway between the hashmarks, unless a different position on or between the hashmarks is selected by the team designated to put the ball in play before the play clock is at 25 seconds or before any subsequent ready-for-play signal. After the play clock is at 25 seconds or any subsequent ready-for-play signal, the ball may be relocated only after a charged team timeout unless preceded by a Team A foul or offsetting fouls.]
b. If a Team B player makes a valid fair catch signal, the unimpeded opportunity to catch a free or scrimmage kick continues if this player muffs the kick and still has an opportunity to complete the catch. If that player (or another Team B player) subsequently catches the kick, the ball belongs to Team B where the player making the signal first touched it. This protection terminates when the kick touches the ground. (A.R. 6-5-1-I-II).
c. Rules pertaining to a fair catch apply only when a scrimmage kick crosses the neutral zone or during free kicks.
d. The purpose of the fair catch provision is to protect the receiver who, by using the fair catch signal, agrees they or a teammate will not advance after the catch (A.R. 6-5-5-III).
e. The ball shall be put in play by a snap by the receiving team at the spot of the catch if the ball is caught (Exceptions: Rules 6-5-1-a, 6-5-1-b, 7-1-3 and 8-6-1-b).

Paul Dirac said:

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Who knew this was possible?
Brilliant

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/oklahoma-state-player-uses-fair-catch-to-exploit-rule-book-and-ruin-a-texas-tech-onside-kick-202747283.html

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great point there I was going to post this somewhere

how have all teams not realized this?!!

I swear another team lost on an onside kick earlier this season

In the Tech game, the ball never touched the ground. It was a nice little chip shot.

It's definitely not in the spirit of the game.

TxAger said:

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In the Tech game, the ball never touched the ground. It was a nice little chip shot.

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. Wrong

Regarding onside kicks:

I've looked at several sources and there is definitely confusion among many people and what I read is contradictory.

One source says a fair catch can happen if the ball hasn't touched the ground

and other sources say

A fair catch can happen ALSO if the football was caught after one hop. I sort of believe the later. 20 minutes of searching and I found no definitive answer.

Fair Catch-The ball can hit the ground 1 time and 1 time only.

Example-Onside kicks when the kicker drives the ball into the ground creating a high bounce.

It is also used on pooch kicks and bloops-we just don't see too many kicks that are so good they actually hit the ground. This is rarely seen, but if a fair catch signal is given the ball can hit the ground anywhere in the field of play 1 time and the returner will be protected.

The purpose of the rule is to protect the receiver, which is currently in the spirit of the game. The young man making the fair catch signal showed some smarts and knowledge of the rules, also in the spirit of the game. There are other rules that could be said to not be in the "spirit" of the game, They are there and part of the game. Send your opinions and justifications to the Rules Committee.

"d. The purpose of the fair catch provision is to protect the receiver who, by using the fair catch signal, agrees they or a teammate will not advance after the catch (A.R. 6-5-5-III)."

Footsteps Falco said:

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Fair Catch-The ball can hit the ground 1 time and 1 time only.

Example-Onside kicks when the kicker drives the ball into the ground creating a high bounce.

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SECTION 4. Opportunity To Catch a Kick
Interference With Opportunity
ARTICLE 1. a. If an inbounds player of the receiving team is located where they could catch a free kick or a scrimmage kick that has crossed the neutral zone, and if the player is attempting to do so, they must be given an unimpeded opportunity to catch the kick (A.R. 6-3-1-III, A.R. 6-4-1-V, VI and IX).
b. It is an interference foul if, before the receiver touches the ball, a Team A player enters the area defined by the width of the receiver's shoulders and extending one yard in front of him. When in question it is a foul.(A.R. 6-4-1-X-XIII)
c. This protection ends when the kick touches the ground (Exception: Free kick, par. f below), when any player of Team B muffs or touches a scrimmage kick beyond the neutral zone, or when any player of Team B muffs or touches a free kick in the field of play or in the end zone (Exception: Rule 6-5-1-b) (A.R. 6-4-1-IV).
d. If interference with a potential receiver is the result of a player being blocked by an opponent, it is not a foul.
e. It is an interference foul if the kicking team contacts the potential receiver before, or simultaneous to, their first touching the ball (A.R. 6-4-1-II, III, and VIII). When in question, it is an interference foul.
f. During a free kick a player of the receiving team in position to receive the ball has the same kick-catch and fair-catch protection whether the ball is kicked directly off the tee or is immediately driven to the ground, strikes the ground ONCE and goes into the air in the manner of the ball kicked directly off the tee.

I don't think the ball was bounced off the ground but if it was it doesn't matter and it would have had only one bounce.

"goes into the air in the manner of the ball kicked directly off the tee," is a bit subjective. Say like if the ball never bounced over 6' high that would seem to invalidate a fair catch because the ball DID NOT go into the air in the manner of the ball kicked directly off the tee.

VatoLocoAggie said:

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TxAger said:

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In the Tech game, the ball never touched the ground. It was a nice little chip shot.

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. Wrong

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He's right. That ball never hit the ground. I watched it live.

But either way, as others have pointed out, even if it's hit the ground (1x) a fair catch is still allowed. Trying to listen to that broadcast crew screw up what happened took IQ points off my brain.

Nope. Not if it hits ground from the kick

I remember maybe 10 years ago or more when the "one bounce" rule was added. Kickers had to make the ball bounce twice so the receiving team could not call the fair catch. The rule was talked about on many a broadcasts, but I guess over time the rule has been forgotten about. Just like the drop kick or the fair catch to allow a team to attempt a free kick field goal in the the NFL. Those rules were always there, people just forgot about them.

81fisch said:

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Nope. Not if it hits ground from the kick

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Did you even read the thread? The quoted rules of the game? You are wrong. Dead wrong. You can fair catch after 1 bounce.

81fisch said:

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Nope. Not if it hits ground from the kick

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Look at the official rules above. You are incorrect my friend.

It must immediately strike the ground and bounce up.

If it strikes the ground several yards later there can be no fair catch. This was put in place about a decade ago.

Pretty sure they changed the rule a couple years ago. You used to see every team drive the onside kick into the ground and get a high bounce. Back then you couldn't call fair catch and it was fair game to lay out the guy trying to catch it. Now you can call fair catch. Which is why almost every team keeps the onside kicks low and rolling on the ground.

Thanks… been 15 years since I officiated and did not know the rules change You're correct. My bad