Was a fair catch called?

[Zod]

I am still trying to understand the non penalty.

To me it looked like the punt returner called a fair catch and Godfrey pushed a defender into him. How is this not illegal contact? I thought once a fair catch was called for everyone had to back off.

[MurkN]

Maybe the penalty only occurs if a player from the kicking team comes in contact with the fair catcher.

[Zod]

I am positive I have seen it called before though when a defender is blocked into the punt returner. If its not a penalty, our strategy from now on is to put Pepp in on special teams, grab the smallest guy on the field and throw him into the punter.

[Davidson Deac II]

I am still trying to understand the non penalty.

To me it looked like the punt returner called a fair catch and Godfrey pushed a defender into him. How is this not illegal contact? I thought once a fair catch was called for everyone had to back off.

I would have thought so to, but apparently not. Maybe the thought is that the blocker needs to get out of the way just as much as the returner. I wonder if the ball hitting the blocker instead of the Punt returner is what made the difference in this case?

Who knows, maybe the rules committee sees this and comes up with the "Godfrey" rule.

[scpanther22]

Referee Walt Coleman explains the punt-fumble call: "What happened was, the two guys were blocking each other. The Washington guy got blocked into his own man, so there was no interference. All we had to figure out who touched it first. If the Washington player is stationary and just standing there and not trying to block, then he can't do that. If they are both trying to block, then he can knock him into him. Because they were both engaged, then that's why there wasn't a foul or anything wrong with that play. If the Washington player is stationary and just standing there and the Carolina player had come down there and knocked him, then it would have been totally different."

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/redskinsinsider/referee-explains-call.html?wprss=redskinsinsider

[CRA]

they didn't call a fair catch and I believe that is why the rules allow you to push his teammate into him. You do see the flag often during a fair catch.

Also, Godfrey isn't smart enough to know that. Teal made the play.

[monstercat]

It don't think it makes any difference if a fair catch was called or not. It's a bad rule IMO, but it was the right call.

[Zod]

From the NFL rule book...

Fair Catch

1. The member of the receiving team must raise one arm a full length above his head and wave it from side to side while kick is in flight. (Failure to give proper sign: receivers’ ball five yards behind spot of signal.) Note: It is legal for the receiver to shield his eyes from the sun by raising one hand no higher than the helmet.

2. No opponent may interfere with the fair catcher, the ball, or his path to the ball. Penalty: 15 yards from spot of foul and fair catch is awarded.

3. 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: snap 15 yards.

4. If ball hits ground or is touched by member of kicking team in flight, fair catch signal is off and all rules for a kicked ball apply.

5. Any undue advance by a fair catch receiver is delay of game. No specific distance is specified for undue advance as ball is dead at spot of catch. If player comes to a reasonable stop, no penalty. For penalty, five yards.

6. If time expires while ball is in play and a fair catch is awarded, receiving team may choose to extend the period with one fair catch kick down. However, placekicker may not use tee.

I would say pushing a player into him is interfering with him.

[CatMan72]

I think it hinged on the referees deciding the Skins player got blocked into his own guy - meaning that he was actively engaged with our guy and attempting to block vs. just standing there. Normally, when a fair catch is called you'll notice that all the blockers get away from their returner to avoid this kind of thing.

[Zod]

but if a fair catch is called there should be no blocking at all as the ball could not be advanced.

[natty]

I was thinking the same thing but normally it's the other way around. Receiver calls fair catch and someone on the receiving team blocks their guy into the receiver - i.e. the Redskin blocked Teal into the returner trying to draw the penalty. That happens, and it's usually a block in the back anyway. But what Teal did makes sense to be legal. The guy shouldn't have gotten bitched around like that.

[grateflday]

I thought the Panther player clearly pushed the Skins player into the punt returner. I was surprised nothing was called.

[Sloth]

It all has to do with the one Skins defender engaging into a block right near their returner. If that guy just stands there then gets shoved into the returner, it's a penalty on us.

Randle-El signaled a fair catch, but I think he forgot to call out so his teammates knew, so they kept blocking and the ball hit that Skins player in the leg. Once it hit a Redskin first, it's a live ball at that point and fair catch rules are out the window.

Basically, the other Redskin shouldn't have been that close to the returner and probably wouldn't have if he knew it was a fair-catch.

[natty]

I thought the Panther player clearly pushed the Skins player into the punt returner. I was surprised nothing was called.

He did, it was blatant, and perfectly legal.