You cannot catch a punt while out of bounds in the NFL.
No, it is not possible or allowed.
Yes the punt receiver can recover a muffed kick (fumbled kick) after signalling for a fair catch. He just can not run with the ball once it is picked up.
No. That's interference.
No because a punt is not a pass. There can, however, be fair catch interference. Whether the receiving player calls for a fair catch or not, the kicking team has to give the receiver an opportunity to field the ball.
The way "fair catch" is defined under NFHS rules (2-9-1), the receiver must give a valid signal AND must also make the catch before it can be called a "fair catch." If the ball hits the ground, there is no fair catch and therefore no protection for the receiver is warranted.
Yes! A blocked punt is a fumble simply because it can be advanced by which every team recovers said block. This is different then a punt returner who didn't made the catch (basically, doesn't gain possession of the ball). This is considered a "muff" and can be recovered but not advanced by either team.
After the ball is caught or hits the ground.
Yes. You will see this happen when the punt is headed very close to the returner's end zone. Instead of the punt returner catching it and giving his team poor field position, like at the 5 or 10 yard line, he will usually let the punt hit the ground in the hopes that the ball will bounce into the end zone so a touchback will be called. In this case the ball would be brought out to the 20 yard line and the returner's team would go on offense. But if the punt team can get down fast enough, they are allowed to catch the ball as long as they do not interfere with the returner.
Punt Bama Punt happened on 1972-12-02.
In order to call a fair catch for a punt return on the Madden 05 PC cd-rom software you need to do the following:Press the left mouse button on the screen when the ball is puntedHold the left mouse button down until the ball is almost at the playerRelease the left mouse button and the player should catch the ballAfter you have completed these steps the player should catch the ball and make a fair catch.
The punter has a choice of what kind of punt they will employ. The most common type, the drop punt, sends the ball end over end and is both easy to kick and accurate. The spiral punt sends the ball in a spiral, making it more aerodynamic. The ball travels further, but is harder to do and much less accurate; not to mention the fact that it makes it easier for the return man to catch. The third type of punt is the soccer-style punt, which is essentially a drop punt but instead of straight-forward, the punter is running at an angle to his kicking foot side and kicks the ball across his body. I punt myself, and I really use all 3 different types of punts for different situations. If I'm at my own 20, i will spiral punt for distance. If I'm at my opponents 30, I will drop punt for accuracy. Finally, if I'm rushed and forced to leave the pocket, I will do soccer style just to get a punt off at all.