Onside Kicks

Question
Team K kicks.  The ball travels in the air 12 yards.  While the ball is still in the air, and having traveled over 10 yards, a player from team K catches the ball.  No player from R touches the ball and the ball does not touch the ground.  Whose ball is it?  Would it make a difference if a player from team R had signaled for a fair catch but did not make an attempt to recover the ball after it had traveled more than 10 yards?

Answer
Jeff
Thank you for your question.

Briefly the answer to your question is: It is A's ball or the Kicking team's ball provided no fair catch was waived. If a fair catch signal was given by the receiving team AND the signaler was attempting to catch the kick, AND was located on the field where he could have caught the free kick that was beyond the neutral zone,then must be given an unimpeded opportunity to catch the kick.  If all of those elements are not met it is not kick catch interference and the ball belongs to the Kicking team where caught.  

The receiving team must be given an opportunity to catch a kick if they are in the area to make the catch or are trying to make the catch or have waived a fair catch signal.  In your play it is an on side kick so the kicking team may not contact/block the Receiving team until it is eligible to touch the free-kicked ball. i.e. until the ball has traveled 10 yards breaking the plane of the receiving team's restraining line (i.e. the ball has been touched by team B/Receiving team or it has touched an official)


No Team A player (Kicking team player) may touch a free-kicked ball until after:
1. It touches a Team B player (Exception: Rules 6-1-4 and 6-5-1-b);
2. It breaks the plane of and remains beyond Team B抯 restraining line; or
3. It touches any player, the ground, an official or anything beyond Team B抯 restraining line.  Thereafter, all players of Team A become eligible to touch, recover or catch the kick.

If a Free kick that has traveled 10 yards is caught or recovered by a player of the kicking team, the ball becomes dead. The ball belongs to the receiving team at the deadball spot, unless the kicking team is in legal possession when the ball is declared dead. In the latter case, the ball belongs to the kicking team.


If a fair catch is signaled:  A player of the receiving team within the boundary lines attempting
to catch a kick, and so located that he could have caught a free kick or a scrimmage kick that is beyond the neutral zone, must be given an unimpeded opportunity to catch the kick (A.R. 6-3-1-III, A.R. 6-4-1-V and A.R. 6-4-1-X).
This protection terminates when the kick touches the ground, when any player of Team B muffs a scrimmage kick beyond the neutral zone, or when any player of Team B muffs a free kick in the field of play or in the end zone (Rule 6-5-1-a) (A.R. 6-4-1-IV).
If interference with a potential receiver is the result of a player being blocked by an opponent, it is not a foul.   It is an interference foul if the kicking team contacts the potential receiver before, or simultaneous to, his first touching the ball.
When in question, it is an interference foul.

Here are the approved rulings and examples of how the fair catch rule is applied from RULE 6 SECTION 4. Opportunity to Catch a Kick  

Interference With Opportunity桝RTICLE 1
Approved Ruling 6-4-1

I. A Team A player catches a free kick very near receiver B25, thus preventing him from making the catch. RULING: Illegal interference. Penalty?5 yards from the spot of the foul.

II. A Team B player, about to catch a kick, is tackled before the ball arrives but catches the kick while he is falling. RULING: Illegal interference. Penalty?5 yards from the spot of the foul.  Disqualification of the Team A player if the contact is flagrant.

IV. A player of Team B, attempting to catch a kick (no fair catch signal), muffs the ball which is then touched by an opponent who was not interfering with the opportunity of the receiver when he was in position to make the catch. RULING: Not interference. Protection against interference with the opportunity to catch a kick ends when any player of Team B muffs the ball.