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Fair catch
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== Variations == ===NFL and NFHS rules=== The receiving team on a kickoff or punt is always entitled to an unobstructed attempt to catch the ball in its initial flight, before it is touched by a player or it hits the ground. However, unless a fair catch is called, the player catching the ball may legally be hit or tackled once he catches the ball, and is thus prone to injury and fumbling the ball, particularly if he has not had a chance to protect his body or the ball. A member of the team attempting to catch a [[Punt (gridiron football)|punt]] or [[Kickoff (American football)|kickoff]] may signal for a fair catch. To request a fair catch, the receiver must raise one arm fully above their head and wave it from side to side while the ball is in flight. Once the signal is given, the kicking team may not interfere with the receiver's attempt to catch the ball. A player who performs a successful fair catch cannot be tackled or hit: once caught, the ball is dead and, barring any penalties, the receiving team begins their drive from spot of the catch. They also have the option of trying a [[fair catch kick]] from that spot, though there have only been six fair catch kick attempts in the 21st century NFL and only one of those was successful. If the ball is not caught, then the fair catch is void and all other rules on kicked balls apply. In 2023, a new rule was adopted by the NFL that allowed kickoff returners who call for a fair catch inside the 25-yard line to be awarded a [[touchback]] and have the ball placed at the 25 for the drive, instead of at the spot of the catch. This rule, which went into effect at the start of the [[2023 NFL season]], applies only to kickoffs. The NFL estimated that kickoff returns would decrease by seven percent with the new fair catch rule, leading to a fifteen percent drop in [[concussion]]s on those plays.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reardon |first=Logan |date=2023-05-24 |title=NFL Owners New Fair Catch Rule on Kickoffs for 2023 Season |url=https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/nfl-owners-new-fair-catch-rule-on-kickoffs-for-2023-season/4362676/ |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=NBC New York |language=en-US}}</ref> ==== Penalties ==== If a member of the kicking team interferes with a fair catch attempt after the receiver gives a proper signal, the kicking team is penalized 15 yards from the spot of the foul, and a fair catch is awarded even if the ball is not caught. In the NFL, the receiving team has the option to attempt a fair catch kick from the location where the ball is spotted after the penalty is assessed. If the receiver fails to give a proper signal (hand raised above helmet but not waved side to side), the receiving team is penalized 5 yards from the spot of the signal for an invalid fair catch signal, a fair catch is not awarded, and the receiver is not protected from being tackled. If the receiver initiates contact with any member of the kicking team after giving a fair catch signal but before the ball is touched by another player, the receiving team is penalized 15 yards. If the receiver signals a fair catch before the ball is caught, and runs after the ball is caught, then the run is immediately stopped, with a 5 yard penalty against the receiving team from where the ball is caught. ===NCAA rules=== NCAA rules on fair catches are similar to NFL and NFHS rules, except it does not have the fair catch kick option, and a fair catch from a kickoff that is caught between the receiving team's goal line and its 25-yard line is a [[touchback]]. The NCAA abolished the fair catch in 1950 but reinstated it in 1951 without the fair catch kick option. In 2018, the additional touchback provision was added.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kirshner |first=Alex |date=2018-08-30 |title=Why college football’s new kickoff fair catches rule is smart |url=https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2018/8/30/17481000/ncaa-kickoff-fair-catch-rule |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=SBNation.com |language=en}}</ref> === Canadian football and arena football === Both the [[XFL (2001)|2001]] and [[XFL (2020)|2020]] versions of the XFL removed the fair catch in an effort to attract fans who disliked the rule. [[Canadian football]] and [[arena football]] also do not have fair catch rules, with the XFL and Canadian football preferring a five-yard "no-yards" rule instead, where the cover team is penalized 15 yards if they invade a five-yard perimeter around the returner as they field a punt.
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