fair catches
Waived-off punt returns
A fair catch is a play in American football where a punt returner signals (by raising one arm) that he will not advance the ball after catching it.
In exchange, defenders cannot tackle him.
The rule prevents dangerous collisions when a returner is vulnerable.
He called for a fair catch at the 15-yard line.
- puntKick before landing
- punt returnAdvancing a caught kick
- footballField sport with goals
- free kickUnobstructed restart after foul
- secureProtected from harm
injury prevention · signal · kickoff · receiver · whistle · special teams · referee · safety call · wave · gridiron · unimpeded · touchback · end zone · snap · fans · sideline · completions · tackle