So, a guy is returning a punt say, the ball is kicked to him he's on his own 15 or where ever... he calls for a fair catch, ball comes and is falling no where near him... can he block the guys running down to down the ball? Can he lay a hit on them?

Of course you can. Anyone who says otherwise knows nothing about football. Try watching a football game, they do it often. The reciever CAN make a fair catch signal and not even attempt to make the catch. The signal ONLY tells the other team, that the receiver is NOT advancing the ball and thus is allowed to make the catch without getting hit afterwards.

It's an important part of receiving strategy...that if your inside your own 10 yard line..give the fair catch (that will hopefully slow the persuit of the coverage team) and then block the first guy you see. All this in the hopes the ball travels into the endzone for a touchback.

Where you guys are getting confused is that you cannot signal a fair catch, catch the ball, then run with it. THAT is a penalty.




[A player who signals for a fair catch is not required to catch the ball. However, if a player signals for a fair catch, he may not block or initiate contact with any player on the kicking team until the ball touches a player. Penalty: 15 yards.]

that is rule #3. Rule #4 states that once the ball hits the ground, the fair catch is "off", and the receiving player can thus block and initate contact.

Again it happens every Sunday. Just watch the games

you can't fake the fair catch, b/c you can't cancel the

sign on fair catch.

Just because a player holds up his hand does not disqualify him from continuing to play as long as the whistle has not blown the play dead.

no because the returner would get a 5yd delay of game penalty because he didnt catch the fair catch

Can't fake a fair catch. If you signal a fair catch you better be darn sure you can catch it. If you dont catch it, the ball is live and can result in a turnover.

If you "fake" a fair catch, you get a penalty - and you get killed by the kicking team.

Not to mention you fail to understand watch the receiver is seeing. If the ball is coming in a way that he knows he cant return it, but can't let it bounce because it wouldnt have enough to bounce into the end zone for a touch back, then he's got to be in position to catch it. He makes the call based on the kicking team coming at him, if he's got blockers in position, and where/when the ball is coming to him.

I'm pretty sure you can people do it all the time. They'll stand at their 10 signal for a fair catch, the cover team will slow down as they get to him. Then the ball hits at the 5 and goes in to the endzone. I don't know if you can lay a hit on someone but you can fake the fair catch.
Also it's not a penalty or a live ball if you fair catch it and don't catch the ball like some of the people above me said.

A player who signals for a fair catch is not required to catch the ball. However, if a player signals for a fair catch, he may not block or initiate contact with any player on the kicking team until the ball touches a player. Penalty: 15 yards.