Question on rules

[Rog]

I just finished looking at a re-run of the Iowa game and 2 questions I have to ask.

First, on the on side kick: couldn't our kicker pick up the ball and run with it without having an Iowa player touch it? He probably did the right thing under the circumstances, even if so however.

A Iowa player called a fair catch on a punt, but didn't catch it and let it bounce (high) and then caught it, it was still ruled as a fair catch. I thought that once it hit the ground the fair catch signal was void. What am I missing?

 

[highwayman]

I just finished looking at a re-run of the Iowa game and 2 questions I have to ask.

First, on the on side kick: couldn't our kicker pick up the ball and run with it without having an Iowa player touch it? He probably did the right thing under the circumstances, even if so however.

A Iowa player called a fair catch on a punt, but didn't catch it and let it bounce (high) and then caught it, it was still ruled as a fair catch. I thought that once it hit the ground the fair catch signal was void. What am I missing?

Hi Rog. The kicking team cannot advance an onside kick, the receiving team may (at their own risk).

The college fair catch rule is different than the NFL. A fair catch is a fair catch even if not caught directly. It's to protect the player, no matter how dumb he is. Remember the Illini player two years ago that kept signalling fair catches and then went running with the ball? He fumbled once, and that didn't count as a fumble as the ball is dead as soon as he caught it. in the NFL, that's an illegal fair catch.

One more college rule: on a punt, the ball is a touchback as soon as it touches the imaginary plane of the goal line. It cannot be "saved," as in the NFL. Remember that folks, and don't boo...

 

[MaxyJR1]

in addition, kicking teams cannot advance kicks or muffed punts. They can only advance the ball when the receiving team fumbles.

In NCAA a punt returner that calls for a fair catch may not block any player. That is a 15 yard penalty if he lights up another player after calling the fair catch.

Advancing a fair catch is just a delay of game penalty.

 

[Lakeville Goldy]

Follow up question...

One more college rule: on a punt, the ball is a touchback as soon as it touches the imaginary plane of the goal line. It cannot be "saved," as in the NFL. Remember that folks, and don't boo...

Highwayman (or anyone who can answer): Since you brought it up I have a question on that - can a player from the kicking team have their feet in the end zone if the ball doesn't cross the plane? I know in the NFL the feet define whether it's a touchback or not, but I thought that in college the feet position didn't matter as long as the ball didn't cross the plane.

 

[Unregistered User]

...the feet position didn't matter as long as the ball didn't cross the plane.

Correct.