Fair catch on kickoff

[DeereHawk75]

At the Maryland game, I was talking to the fans around me and asked why the Iowa front players didn't call for a fair catch. The Maryland kicker did not bounce the ball off the turf, so I believe both kicks could have been fair caught. Yet, I don't know if I have ever seen it. Anyone seen that on a kickoff before?

 

[HawkeyeTech]

Yes. The receiving team also has the option of a free field goal kick from the spot of the fair catch.

 

[Playmaker]

Tech

You only get a free field goal attempt after fair catching a punt...I think.

 

[Robowe]

Yes. The receiving team also has the option of a free field goal kick from the spot of the fair catch.

Not in college football (NCAA). I know it's from Wikipedia, but here's the history.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_catch_kick

The fair catch kick found in American football originated in rugby football. A similar rule in rugby, the goal from mark, allowed a player who had fair caught a ball to attempt an uncontested free kick from the spot of the fair catch. Both major codes of rugby have eliminated the rule; rugby league abolished the goal from mark in 1922, and rugby unionremoved it in 1977.[SUP][17][/SUP]Australian rules football has retained the rule, and it is a vital part of the Australian game; a "fair catch" of a ball kicked more than 15 metres in the air is called a "mark", and the player making the mark is then awarded a free kick.[SUP][18][/SUP] The fair catch kick has been present in the National Football League (NFL) rulebook since the league's inception,[SUP][14][/SUP] and also remains in the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) rulebook.[SUP][19][/SUP] The fair catch kick is not legal in National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) football; the NCAA abolished the fair catch in 1950, but re-added it a year later. When the fair catch returned to the rulebook, however, the option to attempt a kick after the fair catch was removed.[SUP][20][/SUP]

 

[HawkeyeTech]

Since the free kick after a fair catch is the rule in the NFL, I guess I just assumed it was the same in college football. I saw the Vikes try it a couple of years ago from 70 yards.

 

[Floridahawkeye1]

I seen it

 

[nilekinnick]

I believed it was bounced off the turf, he caught the top of the ball and it hit the turf right in front of the tee. We had the same thought initially watching on tv.

 

[DeereHawk75]

The ball was not bounced in the Maryland game on either kick. I watched it live at the game and watched the replay. I will say, you don't have a lot of time to think about doing it.

 

[uihawk82]

Not much time in those type of short popup kicks to call a fair catch.

Bobby Bowden at FSU used to routinely pop up a kickoff about 30 yards and hope it bounced for his team to recover. But those are the type of kicks that you have time to fair catch.