Can you fair catch a kick off in the NFL?

Answer 1

Yes. Any kick, punt or kickoff, can be fair caught. One major difference between fair catching a punt and fair catching a kickoff is that the kickoff is a free kick. Where a punt returner deep in his own territory may call for a fair catch and let the ball bounce on the ground in the hope that the ball will bounce into the end zone for a touchback, the kick returner must catch the ball due to the fact that a kickoff is a free kick and the team that recovers a free kick is awarded possession of the ball.

Answer 2

no because after the ball goes ten yards the kicking team may get it and keep it without it touching the receiving team first.

Yes, you can. The kicking team can still attempt to field the ball themselves, but they cannot interfere with the player attempting the fair catch.

Answer 3

No, a fair catch is for the receiving team only.

However, the kicking team can catch a punt as long as they do not interfere with the receiver. You might see this when the punting team is just out of field goal range and the punter kicks a very high ball that is going to land near the goal line. In this instance, the receiver will usually get out of the way and let the ball hit the ground in hopes that it will bound into the end zone for a touchback. On the rare occasion you will see a member of the kicking team catch the ball at the one or two yard line.

Answer 4

Yes. Any kick can be fair-caught. But if the ball hits the ground or a player touches it, the fair-catch signal is off.

Answer 5

No. Frank Gore of the 49ers was given a 5 yard penalty for calling fair catch after an onsides kick that didn't touch the ground.

Answer 6

High school rules vary from state to state, but in college and the NFL, a fair-catch signal is waved off once the ball either hits the ground or a player.

Answer 7

Actually, you can, as long as the ball has not hit the ground.